RUSSIAN ENVOY FOCUSES ON QUARTET AND DISENGAGEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002304 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/IPA AND EUR/RUS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014 TAGS: KPAL PREL RS XF IS GAZA DISENGAGEMENT ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS SUBJECT: RUSSIAN ENVOY FOCUSES ON QUARTET AND DISENGAGEMENT PLAN DETAILS REF: TEL AVIV 01353 Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (C) Russian Special Middle East Envoy Kalugin told the Ambassador April 20 that President Bush's April 14 statement on Sharon's Disengagement Plan "went further than the Road Map" but was "quite balanced." Kalugin emphasized the value Russia placed on the role of negotiations between the parties and the continued involvement of the Quartet. Kalugin said he is focusing now on preparing his minister for the upcoming meeting of Quartet ministers and is ready to work with other Quartet members to develop an agreed-upon statement for release at the meeting's conclusion. ¶2. (C) Kalugin, who was accompanied by Russian Ambassador Tarasov, asked a series of questions relating to various disengagement plan details, including the meaning of settlement growth, international trusteeship plans for Gaza settlement assets, and Sharon's schedule for implementation of the plan. Ambassador Kurtzer pointed out there were not firm timelines for disengagement implementation, but there were mechanisms for moving the process forward. Under the provisions of the April 14 Weissglas-Rice side letter, the Ambassador noted, he will engage with the GOI on defining settlement construction lines. The Ambassador told Kalugin that World Bank President Wolfenson has begun preliminary discussions with the GOI on possible international organization trusteeship mechanisms for settlement assets. During the course of the discussion, Kalugin and Tarasov also expressed an interest in better understanding the GOI's plans for the Philadelphi corridor and the situations under which the GOI would return to Gaza as a matter of "active self defense." ¶3. (C) Kalugin, noting that Nabil Sha'ath, during an April 16 visit to Moscow, was both "critical" of and "disappointed" in President Bush's April 14 announcement, said that Russia will continue to try to find positive elements to stress in its dialog with the parties. Kalugin said he expects to see Abu Ala'a sometime during the week of April 26 and said that Giora Eiland is expected in Moscow that same week to explain elements of Sharon's Disengagement Plan. Ambassador Kurtzer urged Kalugin to focus Abu Ala'a on the positive results that disengagement could bring to Palestinians in Gaza and encourage Abu Ala'a to develop pragmatic plans now for that eventuality. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** KURTZER