Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRUSSELS807
2005-02-28 14:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brussels
Cable title:  

MOLDOVAN ELECTIONS: PM TARLEV ON RUSSIAN

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINR MD RS USEU BRUSSELS 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000807 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MD RS USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: MOLDOVAN ELECTIONS: PM TARLEV ON RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE AND U.S. CRITICISM


Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.5 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000807

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MD RS USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: MOLDOVAN ELECTIONS: PM TARLEV ON RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE AND U.S. CRITICISM


Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.5 (B,D)


1. (C) Summary. Moldovan PM Tarlev and FM Stratan met with
EUR A/S Beth Jones February 21 in Brussels on the margins of
the President's visit. Tarlev sought the meeting to convey
concerns about Russian interference in the upcoming
legislative elections in Moldova. He said recent U.S.
criticism of the election process left Chisinau feeling
"squeezed on two sides" and Tarlev was concerned that U.S.
support for Moldova had lessened. A/S Jones assured Tarlev
the U.S. was committed to an independent, sovereign and
democratic Moldova. Free and fair elections, however, were
an essential component of this formula, and the U.S. was
concerned by the government dominance of the media and
harassment of NGO's. She urged Tarlev to take concrete
action to address these concerns. End Summary.

Tarlev: Has U.S. Support Lessened?
--------------

2. (C) In response to Tarlev's concern that the recent
statement on the elections by Department Spokesman Boucher
signalled a lessening of U.S. support for Moldova, A/S Jones
said there was no change in U.S. policy: we continue to
support a political resolution to Transnistria, and an
independent, democratic and sovereign Moldova. She said we
hoped so much the March elections could be applauded by COE,
OSCE, EU and US as free, fair and transparent, but were
concerned by unequal media access and treatment of NGO's by
the government. A/S Jones reminded Tarlev that these are not
new concerns; they have been raised repeatedly by Ambassador
Hodges and EUR DAS Tefft.

A/S Jones: Elections must be Free and Fair
--------------

3. (C) A/S Jones appealed to Tarlev to look closely at
media access -- which is easy for everyone to measure -- and
NGO treatment. She told Tarlev that if an NGO breaks the law,
the matter should be pursued through legal channels. But, if
the government simply does not like an NGO's politics, the
NGO should be left alone. Our concerns on these issues had
led to the Boucher statement. At the end of the meeting, A/S

Jones passed Tarlev the english text of the Secretary's
letter to President Voronin (reftel),which she indicated
would be delivered in Chisinau by the Embassy.


4. (C) As Tarlev turned to his concerns about Russian
meddling in the elections (see below),A/S Jones remarked
that if the Russians can point to legitimate problems in the
conduct of the elections -- such as the media access and NGO
treatment issues we have pointed out -- it makes it harder
for the U.S. to help. A/S Jones urged Tarlev pointedly to
take immediate, concrete steps to improve the transparency
and farness of the elections.

Russia: Upset with Moldova
--------------

5. (C) Tarlev said Moscow is upset with Moldova for several
reasons. Russia does not like Chisinau's goal of integration
with the EU, its insistence that Russia keep its Istanbul
commitments, or its statements calling illegal the presence
of Russian troops on Moldovan territory. Voronin's refusal
to sign the Kozak document or -- more recently -- to support
Yanukovich in Ukraine, have also soured ties with Moscow, he
said. Tarlev said Moscow recently sent "unofficial/illegal
representatives" to Moldova, via Tiraspol, to interfere in
the elections. He said they were sent with high quality
electronic technology and were given $42 million in cash to
"destabilize" Moldova. Tarlev said Chisinau has told Moscow
that if it wants to send observers to the elections, it can
send as many as it wants, but should do so through the OSCE.
Russia, he noted, has not responded. Tarlev also claimed the
Russians who had been sent included FSB agents and, when
arrested, had no proof of legal registration.

Worried about Russian Retaliation for Expulsions
--------------

6. (C) Tarlev said authorities had found contracts signed by
the expelled Russians, paying 6,000 Moldovans to demonstrate
against the government. He said Moldova is concerned now
because of the recent Duma resolution urging a ban on
Moldovan imports, disruption of energy supplies (or price
hikes),and introduction of visa requirements (excluding
Transnistria) for Moldovans to travel to Russia. Tarlev said
he had information that all the necessary decrees to
implement these sanctions were already on Putin's desk.
Tarlev went on at length about the "League of Moldova," the
"Democratic Party" and the "Rodina Patria" party, all of
which he claimed are supported by Russia. The NGO "Coalition
2005," he said, consisted 100% of opposition figures, and was
also supported by Russia, he claimed. He added that most
Russian troops in the 14th army and among the Russian
peacekeepers are, in fact, from Transnistria.

Russia Still Pushing Kozak Document
--------------

7. (C) Tarlev next relayed that some two weeks ago, three
Russian representatives came to Chisinau who claimed to have
been sent by Putin to meet with Voronin. They made an offer
to the Moldovan President, Tarlev claimed: all the Russian
resources now directed against Chisinau, they said, would be
used to support Voronin, if only he would sign the Kozak
document. (Tarlev said they put the offer in writing and he
could provide a copy.) He said Voronin told them he never
wanted to see them again.

Close ties to Ukraine, and Romania
--------------

8. (C) Turning to Ukraine, Tarlev said Moldova has
excellent relations with the new cabinet in Kiev; he and PM
Tymoshenko have agreed to meet, but are working to arrange a
Voronin-Yushchenko summit first. Voronin has offered to meet
anywhere -- Kiev, on the border in Odessa, etc. Tarlev said
the Odessa governor is a Moldovan national who was born and
lived in Moldova for 18 years. He and Tarlev know each other
through business ties as respective heads of
producers/industrial associations. Tarlev said Moldova also
has good ties to the new Romanian government (Voronin had a
good meeting with Romanian President just before Yushchenko's
inauguration). He described the new Romanian leadership as
"pragmatic and constructive."


9. (C) Tarlev asked A/S Jones to make sure Transnistria was
on President Bush's agenda for his meeting the next day at
NATO with Ukrainian President Yushchenko. A/S Jones assured
Tarlev the President was well aware of the issue, and the
U.S. wanted to work closely with Kiev on border controls.

Relations with the EU
--------------

10. (C) Inter alia, Tarlev thanked the U.S. for its
support, indicated Moldova and the EU would sign their
"Action Plan" at their February 22 cooperation council
meeting, and said he had good meetings with Solana and the
Commission earlier on the 21st. He said Moldova has "without
question" chosen integration with the EU, and regretted the
decade his country had lost by not making that choice
immediately upon independence. He said he is working on
President Voronin to drop the word "communist" from the party
name, and said he and FM Stratan represent a new generation
of Moldovans who look to Europe and the West, and want a
free, democratic Moldova.


11. (U) This cable was cleared by A/S Jones.

MCKINLEY

.