RUSSIA PUTS HOLD ON U.S. BSEC OBSERVER REQUEST

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000645 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECIN ETTC KFPC KTIA TU XG SUBJECT: RUSSIA PUTS HOLD ON U.S. BSEC OBSERVER REQUEST REF: A. ISTANBUL 470 ¶B. STATE 43828 ¶C. ANKARA 398 ¶D. STATE 4274 Sensitive but unclassified. Not for internet distribution. This message was coordinated with Embassy Ankara. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Sources in the Secretariat of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation indicate the Russian Delegation blocked approval of the U.S. application for observer status at last week's Meeting of Senior Officials in Komotini, Greece. While the Russians technically "supported" the U.S. application, they insisted that it only be considered together with the other eleven pending applications for observer status. Organizatin officials predict that the action will effectiely postpone a decision on the application for sx months, but note that they expect it to be appoved during the upcoming Moldavian Chairmanship. They also note the development underscores the ned for BSEC to move away from its current requiremnt that all decisions be made by consensus, and nstead adopt another approach. End Summary. . (SBU) Nyet: In e-mails to State Department personel, which they promise will soon be followed by n official diplomatic note, officials at the Orgnization for Black Sea Economic Cooperation indiate that the negative scenario they outlined in ef A had come to pass as a result of a Russian deision to insist that the U.S. application for obsever status be considered only in conjunction wit the other eleven pending observer applications. BSEC Secretary General Ambassador Tedo Japaridz indicated that the Russians are particularly comitted to observer status for Belorussia and the epublic of Cyprus, and hence argued that the U.S. application is not "exceptional" and should be cosidered in the same way. He expressed frustratin with the development, noting that it is part ofa pattern of "obstruction" in a number of interntional fora, but was at pains to emphasize that t did not indicate "opposition" to U.S. observer status. On the ntrary, Russia had technically "upported" the application, provided that it was cnsidered as part of the total group. ¶3. (SBU)Next Steps: Japaridze indicates that the Secretariat has already formally asked all pending candidates SIPDIS (some of which date from several years ago) to confirm that they remain interested in becoming a member of BSEC. Once this is done, all 12 applications will be taken up as a group in the next senior officials' meeting (during the Moldavian Chairmanship). Japaridze noted that a number of countries, including Georgia, Azerbeijan, Moldova, Albania and Ukraine, signed a formal statement of support for the U.S.; others, including Turkey, Greece, Armenia and Serbia, did not join the statement, but separately expressed a positive view. ¶4. (SBU) BSEC Reform: Japaridze, who is currently in Albania, noted that he is talking to the Albanians about the need to rethink the rule of consensus. He predicted that this will be difficult to do, but might be possible by creating "some linkages in this regard." He noted that the Albanian Foreign Minister will be in touch with the American Ambassador next week in Tirana to discuss this issue. Japaridze indicated that he has heard from some "BSEC insiders" that the Russians also want to talk to the U.S. about the Black Sea and BSEC directly. This, he said, has been communicated through former Romanian Foreign Minister Segi Cheluk to Ron Asmus. ¶5. (U) Comment: We will push the dialogue further when BSEC officials return to Istanbul from the Komotini meeting and their follow-on travels. End Comment. ARNETT