INITIAL CAUTIOUS ROMANIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUCHAREST 000607 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/NCE - WILLIAM SILKWORTH STATE ALSO FOR EUR/RPM - EVA SHINAGEL USNATO FOR TOM UNDERWOOD E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2016 TAGS: NATO PREL MARR RO SUBJECT: INITIAL CAUTIOUS ROMANIAN RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE ON ROLLING OUT NATO'S 'GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP' WITH ALLIES REF: SECSTATE 56334 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Taplin for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Further to Reftel, PolMilOff discussed the U.S. and U.K. paper entitled "NATO's Global Partnership" with MFA NATO Division Director Mirela Maghiar on April 12. PolMilOff stressed the U.S. goal of NATO leaders announcing, at the Riga Summit, their intention to reshape how NATO engages with non-Allies by creating a new "NATO Global Partnership" initiative to be implemented by the Spring 2008 Summit. ¶2. (C) After initially hesitating about how best to formulate a response, Maghiar acknowledged that "we have some mixed feelings toward the global partnership. We are all for cooperation but we worry about what impact the global partnership would have on the Alliance." She continued that Romania supports a NATO role in training non-NATO members and "seeks the goal of substantive deliverables" for the Riga Summit." Nonetheless, the proposed global partnership is "quite an ambitious proposal and we are carefully analyzing it." She underscored that Romania seeks the "goal of strengthening NATO's profile as a collective defense alliance." For example, Romania would like to see any discussions at "26 plus N" (reftel) "establish from the beginning areas of focus...(including) the Balkans and Black Sea region." She noted that the Romanian/Polish/Turkish nonpaper "On Enhancing Political Dialogue and Practical Cooperation within the EAPC/PfP" presented at the March 31 meeting of NATO Permanent Representatives "is not meant to exclude or oppose other ideas." Maghiar stressed that the GOR had not formulated a "final decision yet" to the proposed "global partnership" and appreciated the fact that the "U.S.-UK proposal has helped bring increased dynamism to discussions leading to Riga." TAUBMAN