BSEC SENIOR OFFICIALS CLEAR U.S. REQUEST FOR

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 001603 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECIN ETRD TU PREL SUBJECT: BSEC SENIOR OFFICIALS CLEAR U.S. REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS REF: A. ANKARA 2031 ¶B. ISTANBUL 645 ¶C. ISTANBUL 470 ¶D. STATE 43828 ¶1. (SBU) In separate phone conversations on September 16 and September 20, Black Sea Economic Cooperation Secretary General Tedo Japaridze and First Deputy Secretary General Tugay Ulucevik confirmed to Istanbul P/E Chief that the organization's senior officials had agreed in their September 15 Istanbul meeting to forward to the BSEC Council a recommendation for approval of the United States' request for observer status. Senior officials also recommended granting observer status to the Czech Republic and Belarus, but did not reach consensus on granting such status to the Republic of Cyprus. Per the recommendation, observer status will commence on November 1, 2005, for a renewable period of 2 years. ¶2. (SBU) The BSEC Council meets on September 27 in Chisinau. Both Japaridze and Ulucevik expressed confidence that the recommendation will be adopted "without difficulty." JONES