ARMS CONTROL DEMARCHES DELIVERED RE SYRIA AND

S E C R E T BELGRADE 001308 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2016 TAGS: PARM BEXP PREL SR SY VE SUBJECT: ARMS CONTROL DEMARCHES DELIVERED RE SYRIA AND VENEZUELA REF: A. STATE 132053 ¶B. STATE 132722 Classified By: Ambassador Michael Polt, reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (s) We delivered reftel demarches in separate meetings with Assistant DEFMIN for Material Resources COL Markovic, MFA Chief of the Directorate for Arms Control Branka Latinovic, and YugoImport Director Stevan Nikcevic August 15-17. In each meeting, we impressed upon our interlocutors the seriousness of these potential sales and the scrutiny these countries will continue to receive. We received assurances across the board that no proposed sales have come to government channels for approval/export licensing, and Nikcevic added that his office has had little or no contact with wither Venezuela or Syria, and in the latter case especially since the beginning of OIF. All agreed that any such sales would do far more harm than good in the long run to their arms export industry and to their international reputation. ¶2. (s) As they have in the past, we expect the GoS and YugoImport to cooperate fully with us on this issue. We have asked them to inform us of any license applications for exports to either country (and to deny them),and to keep us apprised of any travel of Syrian or Venezuelan officials to Serbia. MOORE