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.




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