RUSSIA G-8 PRESIDENCY HOSTS MEETING ON ENGAGING

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001884

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/AGS AND S/CT - JSANDAGE
USEU FOR KERBER AND UNDERWOOD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV EIND ELTN ETTC GM
SUBJECT: RUSSIA G-8 PRESIDENCY HOSTS MEETING ON ENGAGING
THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN COUNTERTERRORISM

REF: SANDAGE - KOUMANS EMAILS

Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs Robert F. Cekuta
for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. German, UK, U.S., and Canadian

representatives used a counterterrorism meeting co-organized
in Berlin by the Russian MFA and the East West Institute
(EWI) to encourage a more structured Russian effort in
official G-8 Roma-Lyon channels. The plan that emerged from
the June 30 meeting involves (1) From July - October: G-8
countries reaching out to the private sector to seek
suggestions on how to combat terrorism more effectively; (2)
Before early September: G-8 countries vetting and
circulating, but not necessarily endorsing, those proposals;
(3) October 10: a conference in Brussels, hosted by Russia,
to review the proposals and identify which to pursue; and (4)
a November conference in Moscow, chaired by Russian President
Putin, to endorse the workplan and begin work on the
proposals. Russia and EWI will chair another meeting July 11
in Brussels to discuss their plans further and solicit
additional input.

RUSSIA PROPOSES G-8 PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVE
--------------


2. (C) Russia and EWI invited representatives from G-8
countries and selected companies to the June 30 Berlin
meeting, titled "Cross-Border Movement of People, Goods and
Money." Russian MFA Deputy Director for New Challenges and
Threats Vladimir Andreyev outlined a schedule of four
meetings in the initiative: The June 30 Berlin meeting, a
second meeting to discuss the Russian initiative July 11 in
Brussels, a third meeting October 10 in Brussels, and last a
November 27-29 conference in Moscow, chaired by President
Putin, with "highest possible" international governmental and
industry attendance. The plan was to "establish a basis for
future dialogue, launch a process, reach deeper
understanding, and forge a genuine partnership with the
private sector" in the fight against terrorism, Andreyev
explained. Russia would describe this plan to the G-8 in St.
Petersburg. Andreyev apologized that this first Russian G-8
Presidency had been a challenge, but said Russia counted on
G-8 support for an initiative that held great interest in
Russia. The MFA, he continued, would do everything to
support the Russian proposal.


3. (C) German, UK, and U.S. reps expressed several concerns
about the Russian initiative, including (1) whether the
meetings would be under formal G-8 auspices, and if not, who
would host; (2) the difficulty in obtaining senior
governmental and private sector attendance given the little
time left for preparation and given that G-8 leaders are
already going to Russia in July; (3) how the initiative would
be tied to the already informally agreed draft "Strategy for
Partnerships between Governments and Businesses to Counter
Terrorism." Andreyev responded Russia sought an official G-8
event, but with a "true private sector partnership."
Businesses should provide input on the strategy paper -- the
G-8 should not just present a fait accompli. Then G-8
Roma-Lyon delegation heads would have to approve the changes,
followed by Sherpas and Ministers, Andreyev said. The
Russian Deputy DG continued that a Russian firm had proposed
including a section on corruption in the strategy paper; the
Russian MFA had agreed. Andreyev explained the Russian
stance was that all G-8 members should solicit private sector
comments on the strategy document; in addition, the private
sector should suggest new policies and practices to improve
international counterterrorism efforts.

G-8 REPS RESPOND
--------------


4. (C) German and UK reps told Andreyev that, contrary to a
suggestion he made, G-8 Sherpas and Ministers had not already
approved the strategy paper. Canadian Embassy PolCouns Ian
Shaw reported the Canadian government had held two
conferences with industry representatives and had circulated
the strategy paper. Canada offered to circulate to the G-8
the Canadian companies' proposals and comments and also
proposed the G-8 look for suggestions of practical steps G-8
countries could take that are tied to the 19 points in the

strategy paper. Companies could use a standard one-page
template form for their proposals. UK Foreign Office
Counterterrorism Policy Officer in the Directorate for
Defense and Security Threats Dr. Simon Harkin said HMG had
also circulated the strategy paper to UK businesses and could
also circulate the comments and proposals HMG received.
Andreyev agreed to circulate Russian companies'
counterterrorism proposals. The German delegate, MFA
Counterterrorism Officer Holger Kraemer, asked Russia to
clarify whom it and EWI had invited or would invite to the
July and October Brussels meetings. It is hard for the
German government to invite companies to an event Germany did
not host, Kraemer cautioned, but Germany could suggest German
companies the organizers could invite. Andreyev and EWI
agreed to circulate an invitees list.


5. (C) U.S. rep (Embassy Global Affairs Officer),per emailed
instructions from S/CT, said the U.S. supports the overall
goal of meaningful participation of private sector, as
exhibited by the large U.S. private sector presence at a G-8
counterterrorism conference earlier in the year. That said,
Russia should circulate to Roma-Lyon heads of delegation by
the middle of the week of July 3 a clear plan for their
consideration. As to including anti-corruption in the
strategy paper, the U.S. had to reserve its position. While
the U.S. shared Russian concerns, other fora might be more
appropriate for this question in order to keep the G-8
strategy focused on CT. No Italian representative was
present; the only Japanese intervention from MFA Senior
Coordinator for Intelligence Analysis in the International
Counter Terrorism Cooperation Division Toshikatsz Aozama was
to say he could not guarantee Japanese industry
representatives would attend the July Brussels meeting.

A PLAN EMERGES
--------------


6. (C) Andreyev said the July event in Brussels will focus on
the same issues on the agenda in Berlin ("Cross-Border
Movement of People, Goods and Money"),but with two
additional areas: Cyber security and Critical infrastructure
protection, particularly energy infrastructure. Then, during
the summer, G-8 countries would circulate the strategy paper
to their business communities and solicit reactions to it as
well as companies' proposals for counterterrorism practices.
There was a sense among those present that G-8 members should
vet proposals from the private sector before circulating them
and that circulating a proposal did not imply endorsement.
Also, businesses should submit their proposals before early
September to give G-8 capitals time to review them before the
October meeting. Andreyev explained that the purpose of the
October meeting would be to discuss the private sector's
proposals. Then the November meeting would propose practical
results and projects and thereby achieve senior Russian
leaders' objective of launching of a process of partnership
with the private sector.

EAST WEST INSTITUTE
--------------


7. (C) During the meeting, the EWI circulated a "Projected
Outcomes" paper (on Russian MFA and EWI letterhead -- faxed
to S/CT) that Canada criticized as "going beyond" the
Roma-Lyon strategy paper. Germany and U.S. reps asked for it
electronically before Andreyev said that he, too, was seeing
it for the first time and that the Russian MFA might still
have edits. He added EWI "helped Russia a lot" but Russia
would circulate the paper later. As for media involvement in
the Russian initiative, EWI President and CEO John Mroz said
the November event would be open to the press, but all
meetings before then were off the record. The EWI President
said he had already contacted some U.S. and European
businesses, including Microsoft, and companies had insisted
on confidentiality in order to give honest, serious
proposals, Mroz said. The EWI President and Andreyev asked
G-8 members to ensure good commercial sector participation
and Mroz asked for more names to invite. The EWI envisions
five to six agencies in each country's delegation, from
intelligence, transport, information, customs, economics, and
other ministries, Mroz said. In an aside to U.S. and UK
reps, Mroz said senior U.S. officials support EWI's efforts
to assist the Russian G-8 presidency. He added Russian

officials sometimes did not understand G-8 practices, for
example assuming G-8 approval of ideas or papers still under
discussion. He asked that the UK and U.S. tell Russia
clearly what is approved and what is not.

PRIVATE SECTOR INTERVENTIONS
--------------


8. (SBU) Industry Director for Public Security Sean O'Brien
from German software firm SAP -- which provided the meeting
venue -- made a pitch for a "common passport / identity
strategy" to accelerate border crossings. What about a
globally integrated public security system, he asked.
General Director of Consulting and Marketing International
Center (a Russian firm) Mikhail Minchenkov said recovery from
a dirty bomb would cost $250 billion and destabilize the
global financial system; therefore the world needed
international terrorism insurance, he said. He elaborated
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov agreed with the idea, which
would require a multilateral agreement with the by-in of
international companies. General Director of the Russian
firm SPHERA said global information technology is too
vulnerable and countries use too many different systems. The
world needs a unified security strategy, because currently
too many national authorities create too many regulations, he
said. Aeroflot First Deputy to the DG on Industrial Activity
Vladimir Antonov stated the world spends more on reacting to
terrorism than on its prevention and should coordinate
better. Existing ICAO, IATA mechanisms are not enough; the
G-8 needs to give leadership, he said.
TIMKEN JR