EU LUKEWARM ON IDEA OF MOLDOVA CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002607

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, AND EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2015
TAGS: PREL PARM PBTS PHUM PGOV MD EUN OSCE USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU LUKEWARM ON IDEA OF MOLDOVA CONFERENCE

REF: STATE 125824

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


1. (C) Summary. The initial EU response to reftel demarche
is lukewarm, although member states will need to be consulted
for an official response. The EU will likely be most
supportive of a conference whose participants include at
least Russia and, ideally, Transnistria as well. The EU
suggested that it would be helpful for SNEC Ambassador Mann
to contact EUSR Jacobovits directly, as Jacobovits might be
more hesitant about attending a conference than would member
states. The EU is very concerned with Moldova's draft law on
the status of Transnistria, and EU HighRep Solana may call
Voronin. End summary.

EU Lukewarm to idea of Moldova Conference
--------------

2. (C) USEU poloff presented reftel demarche on U.S.
support for a multilateral conference on Transnistria to
Pirkka Tappiola, Council Secretariat senior advisor for
Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova on July 7. Tappiola said the EU
is operating on the principle that a solution of the
Transnistria issue is not possible without Russia. The EU
would prefer that Transnistria be invited to the conference.
Alternatively, the EU would support a conference of the
mediators only. If, however, Transnistria is not invited or
declines to attend, the EU would then see Russian
participation as essential. Tappiola asked to be informed of
Moscow's reaction to the conference proposal. He said he
would share the US non-paper with member states in Brussels
and get back to us. He suggested that SNEC Ambassador Mann
contact EUSR Jacobovits directly on this idea soon,
commenting that Jacobovits might be more reluctant to attend
a conference that did not include Transnistria than member
states would be. He implied that, should Russia also decline
to participate, EU member states would question the utility
of the conference. Tappiloa declined to go into further
detail on the conditions that would be necessary for EU
participation in the conference, but implied that member
states will want assurances that a conference will complement
ongoing efforts to resume negotiations, and not complicate
matters further.

EU still focused on 5-sided talks
--------------

3. (C) Tappiola explained that the EU continues to work
toward gaining Russian agreement to hold a "five-sided"
meeting of the three mediators (OSCE, Ukraine, Russia) and
the U.S. and EU. The latest EU thinking is that a direct
approach to the Transnistrian leadership could facilitate
Russia's acquiescence, citing recent reports from OSCE HOM
Hill indicating a softening of Transnistria's position. The
EU welcomed the Ukrainian plan, with all its faults, in that
it signals greater engagement by Kiev. EU HighRep Solana
will visit Kiev on July 19, in part to press Ukraine to take
decisive steps to control its border with Transnistria.

EU Concern over Moldova's Status Law
--------------

4. (C) Tappiola said the EU was "very worried" about
Moldova's draft law on the status of Transnistria, and EU
High Rep may call Voronin about the issue soon. The EU,
Tappiola said, would understand if Voronin had sought from
Parliament a negotiating mandate for talks with Transnistria,
but a detailed final status law that includes designation of
who will run Transnistria amounts to an unhelpful unilateral
act that Tiraspol is likely to reject. The result will be to
move the whole process "ten steps backward," he said. The
EU's understanding is that Voronin hopes to have the law
passed by mid- to late-July. Hence the possibility of a
Solana-Voronin call soon, as a damage-limitation measure.

Jacobovits visit to Washington
--------------

5. (C) Tappiola took the occasion to convey EUSR
Jacobovits' desire to visit Washington the week of August
8th, if meetings could be arranged with EUR A/S Fried and
other appropriate officials at State and the NSC.
Alternatively, Jacobovits could travel in late August/early
September if Washington interlocutors are unavailable in
early August.

MCKINLEY
.