EU CONSIDERS VISA BAN ON 21 TRANSNISTRIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003227

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/UMB AND EUR/ERA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2009
TAGS: PREL PARM PBTS PHUM PGOV MD EUN OSCE USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU CONSIDERS VISA BAN ON 21 TRANSNISTRIAN
OFFICIALS LINKED TO SCHOOL CLOSINGS

REF: CHISINAU 832

Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.4 (B,D)


1. (SBU) On July 29, EU Political and Security Committee
(PSC) Ambassadors agreed to consider imposing a visa ban on
21 Transnistrian officials connected to the recent closing of
Moldovan schools in Transnistria. EU staff are preparing the
paperwork to impose the ban; the PSC will review the issue
again on August 3. If there is no improvement on the ground
regarding the school closings by then, and the EU does not
expect any, the PSC is likely to agree on a visa ban. The
ban would then need to be blessed by Ministers, which could
take an additional few days. If the EU acts, it will not add
these 21 names to the existing ban, but would institute a
separate ban on officials linked to the school closings; if
the schools issue is resolved favorably, the EU would lift
the ban on these officials, following three months normal
operation of the schools (see last para of list below on the
"exit strategy").


2. (C) The EU has shared the list of 21 names with us, in an
effort to coordinate with the US, both on the names and on
public announcement of any action taken. Note that this list
includes eight of the eleven names transmitted reftel (the
three parliamentarians were dropped) with additional local
officials from Bendery, Tiraspol and Ribnita added.

Begin EU List

Transnistrian "Ministry of Education"
"Minister" Bomeshko, Elena Vasilyevna
"First Deputy Minister" Gello, Valentina Alexeevna
"Deputy Minister" Kriminski, Alexander Ivanovich
"Deputy Minister" Surinov, Victor Georgevich

From local administrations:

(1.) Bendery
City administration: Head of city administration
Posudnevsky, Aleksander Ivanovich
Deputy Head of city administration on construction issues
Galata, Victor Aleksandrovich
Deputy Head of city administration on education issues
Gordienco, Svetlana Aleksandrovna
Head of city council Moskalev, A.N.
Head of Department for education: UZUN, Svetlana Dmitrievna
Deputy Head of Department for education: Kilivnik, Nina
Nikolaevna

(2.) Tiraspol
City Administration: Head of city administration Kostyrko,
Ivan Ivanovich
Chairman of City Council: Ivanchenkov, Victor Mikhailovich
Head of Department for education: Pashenko, Maria Rafelovna

(3.) Ribnita
City administration: Head of city administration Platonov,
Yuri Mokhailovich
Deputy Head of city administation on education issues
Cherbulenko, Alla Viktorovna
Deputy Head of city administration on construction issues
Gordenko, Aleksej Nikolaevich
Department for education: Head of department Pereli, Boris
Ivanovich
Deputy head of department VYRODOV, Evgenij Aleksandrovich
Head of Militsia: Mr. Kisserman
Deputy Head of Militsia: Mr. Malai

As an appropriate exit strategy Chisinau HoMs would like to
suggest that the ban may be lifted if schools in question
have been reopened by September 1, 2004 and have been working
properly and without harassment by Transnistrian authorities
for 3 months thereafter.

End Text of EU list.

SAMMIS