Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KIEV2068
2006-05-30 07:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kyiv
Cable title:  

UKRAINE/GUAM: U.S.-GUAM BILATERAL MEETING

Tags:  PREL KDEM ETRD EAID AORC UNMIK PINR YI AZ GG 
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VZCZCXRO0689
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHKV #2068/01 1500738
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 300738Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KIEV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9560
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KIEV 002068 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM ETRD EAID AORC UNMIK PINR YI AZ GG
MD, UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE/GUAM: U.S.-GUAM BILATERAL MEETING

REF: BAKU 734

Classified By: Political Counselor Aubrey A. Carlson for reasons 1.4(b,
d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KIEV 002068

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: PREL KDEM ETRD EAID AORC UNMIK PINR YI AZ GG
MD, UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE/GUAM: U.S.-GUAM BILATERAL MEETING

REF: BAKU 734

Classified By: Political Counselor Aubrey A. Carlson for reasons 1.4(b,
d)


1. (U) Summary: The U.S. delegation of EUR DAS Kramer and
Vice-Presidential Deputy National Security Adviser Wood met
with GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova)
representatives May 22. GUAM representatives favorably noted
strong U.S.-GUAM past and present cooperation. Kramer
congratulated GUAM for its evolution into an international
organization, expressed continuing U.S. support for GUAM, and
urged GUAM to take steps necessary to ensure the
effectiveness of the newly established GUAM secretariat.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Tarasyuk and Azerbaijan Foreign
Minister Mammadyarov urged the U.S. to lift Jackson-Vanik for
the two GUAM countries to which it still applied --
Azerbaijan and Moldova. The GUAM representatives considered
the possibility of sending a GUAM message of congratulations
to Iraq on the formation of a government, but ultimately did
not do so. At a May 22 dinner for GUAM meeting delegates,
GUAM foreign ministers expressed concern about the precedent
that Kosovo independence might set for "frozen conflicts" in
Moldova and the Caucasus region. Participants approved the
text of a U.S.-GUAM joint statement (text in paragraph 14).
End summary.


2. (U) Following were the GUAM representatives at the meeting.

-- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk
-- Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
-- Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili
-- Moldovan Deputy Foreign Minister Valeriu Ostalep

Azerbaijan Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov was also
present and spoke.

Ukraine
--------------


3. (U) Starting the meeting, Tarasyuk said the next day's
GUAM summit would be known as a summit of transformation,

establishing GUAM as an international organization to be
known as Organization for Democracy and Economic Development
- GUAM. He had informed the U.S. delegation that GUAM had
finalized 16 documents for the summit. On May 23, the GUAM
leaders would sign the new GUAM charter, the Kiev
declaration, a declaration on "frozen conflicts," and a
summit communique. In addition to the presidents, three
other groups were meeting to foster intensified cooperation
and better relations among GUAM member-states. One group
comprised the ministers of economy, transportation, and
energy and the chiefs of custom services. A second meeting
brought together heads of law enforcement agencies -- the
ministers of interior and heads of the security and border
services. Representatives of the business communities and
chambers of commerce were meeting in the third group.


4. (SBU) Tarasyuk expressed appreciation for USG support for
GUAM and for providing valuable experience as GUAM
transformed into an international organization. He also
thanked the U.S. delegation for continuing USG political
support in international fora and for the technical and
budget support provided to the Euro-Atlantic Advisory Team
(EAAT) and for the establishment of the Virtual Law
Enforcement Center (VLEC). As GUAM moved forward, Ukraine
saw several priority tasks for GUAM and the U.S.-GUAM
partnership. First, the GUAM secretariat, which was leanly
staffed with no more than eight people, would be kept small
but needed technical assistance to develop effective
operational capabilities. In this regard, the Ukrainian
government was preparing a secretariat office in downtown
Kiev. Second, GUAM would appreciate USG assistance in
intensifying its partnership with other organizations,
particularly the European Union, with which interactions so
far had been minimal. Third, Tarasyuk suggested that GUAM's
parliamentary association would need to develop a
relationship with the U.S. Congress.

Azerbaijan
--------------


5. (SBU) Mammadyarov observed that U.S.-GUAM relations had
intensified, particularly after the 9/11 events, resulting in
a deepening of cooperation at all levels. GUAM member-states
understood and supported the importance of steps to reduce
the threats of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD). During his tenure as Azerbaijani
ambassador to the U.S., he had valued EUR/ACE official John
Markey's support to GUAM. Observing that GUAM traditionally
held a bilateral meeting with the U.S. on the margins of the

KIEV 00002068 002 OF 004


UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York, Mammadyarov
suggested that the joint statement incorporate the GUAM and
U.S. intention to do so once more in September 2006.
Evidence that GUAM and the U.S. were discussing substantive
issues would add credibility and status to the new
international organization. Tarasyuk immediately expressed
his support for Mammadyarov's suggestion.

Georgia
--------------


6. (U) Bezhuashvili said GUAM's new status as an organization
would serve to make its cooperation within the U.S.-GUAM
Framework Agreement more efficient. As a new organization,
GUAM hoped to focus on ways to enhance member-states' energy
security as well as seeking to cooperate with the EU on
energy security issues. GUAM member-states could potentially
work together to develop a joint energy project that could be
brought to donor nations for financing. GUAM also had the
possibility of demonstrating to neighboring countries how an
organization based on a common vision and common principles
could be effective in promoting the democratic processes
underway in the four countries. Bezhuashvili encouraged
Tarasyuk to provide the U.S. delegation a more detailed
briefing on GUAM's achievements to date.

Moldova
--------------


7. (U) Ostalep said GUAM had enjoyed a good relationship
working with the EAAT on trafficking in persons (TIP) issues,
which was a problem that particularly affected Moldova, and
urged GUAM members to make TIP an organizational priority.
GUAM would have access to a TIP analytical center through
Moldova that the USG had helped to establish in Chisinau.

U.S.
--------------


8. (SBU) EUR DAS Kramer relayed the Secretary's
congratulations for GUAM's achievements. After introducing
OVP DNSA Wood, Kramer agreed to include a reference to the
proposed U.S.-GUAM meeting at UNGA in the joint statement
(see last sentence of text in paragraph 14) and agreed with
the Moldovan Deputy Minister on the importance of the TIP
issue. He emphasized the importance of taking necessary
legal steps and implementing effective accounting procedures
to allow USG funding to be provided directly to the GUAM
secretariat, since the SECI (Southeastern Europe Cooperation

SIPDIS
Initiative) center would soon no longer serve as a
pass-through for funding of U.S.-GUAM Framework projects. He
assured the GUAM representatives that the USG stood ready to
explore other avenues of cooperation with GUAM while
continuing to ensure the success of existing and ongoing
projects. The USG welcomed the GUAM member-states'
initiative in transforming and revitalizing GUAM, a sure sign
that the organization's membership, not the U.S., was the
driving force behind the organization.

Discussion: Jackson-Vanik, Belarus, Iraq, Kosovo
-------------- ---


9. (C) Tarasyuk said GUAM representatives had agreed on a
protocol on rules of origin, which was a significant step
toward establishing a free-trade area among GUAM
member-states. He then surprised his audience by suggesting
that GUAM express its intention to provide support for
Moldova and Azerbaijan's graduation from Jackson-Vanik.
(Note: Georgia and Ukraine are no longer under Jackson-Vanik
restrictions.) Mammadyarov expressed his appreciation for
Tarasyuk's proposal and described the atmospherics behind
Jackson-Vanik based on his experiences with the U.S. Congress
while in Washington. Kramer voiced the strong support of the
U.S. executive branch for the removal of Azerbaijan and
Moldova from Jackson-Vanik, but noted that the issue depended
on Congressional action.


10. (SBU) Kramer briefed the GUAM representatives on U.S.
policy toward Belarus and thanked GUAM countries for their
support of the policy.


11. (SBU) Bezhuashvili noted each country had congratulated
Iraq on the formation of a new government but that perhaps
GUAM could send the same congratulations as an organization.
Mammadyarov proposed that it be added to the communique
rather than as a separate GUAM statement, but, when
Azerbaijani DFM Azimov also objected to this approach, the
GUAM representatives agreed to leave the issue to the GUAM
national coordinators to decide.


12. (C) During a May 22 dinner hosted by FM Tarasyuk, GUAM

KIEV 00002068 003 OF 004


foreign ministers discussed at length the potential of Russia
using possible Kosovo independence as a precedent in other
frozen conflicts against their (GUAM members-states')
interests. Kramer and Wood pushed back, noting that the
correct precedent was that the international community came
together to find the right solution for each particular case.
Tarasyuk pronounced himself unconvinced and reiterated the
Russians would use the precedent for their own purposes.

Atmospherics
--------------


13. (C) The meeting was characterized by an unusual degree of
spontaneity and candor. In a sign of the rapport and
camaraderie enjoyed by the foreign ministers of Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia, Tarasyuk playfully challenged Kramer
before the start of the session to guess from which
university the three foreign ministers had all graduated.
Disdainfully dismissing Moscow State University ("Moskovskiy
Gosudarstvenniy Universitet, MGU, well known in Soviet times
as the training ground for the bureaucratic elite) as a
possible response, Tarasyuk said all three in fact were
graduates of the Institute of International Relations and
International Law of Kiev State University, as was Georgian
President Saakashvili. (Note: Azerbaijan's Economic
Development and Finance Ministers and Deputy Foreign Minister
Khalafov also graduated from the same institute.) Perhaps
because of his lower rank (and youth),Moldovan Deputy
Foreign Minister Ostalep stuck closely to his prepared
talking points. The meeting was conducted entirely in
English, which, with Russian, is one of the two official
working languages of GUAM.

U.S.-GUAM Joint Statement
--------------


14. (U) Text of the U.S.-GUAM joint statement, which was
posted both on the GUAM and Embassy Kiev websites, appears
below.

Begin text.

On May 22-23, 2006 in Kyiv, Ukraine, the GUAM Member-States
and the United States met at the Eleventh Meeting of the
Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of GUAM and the GUAM
Summit to continue their dialogue and cooperation. The U.S.
delegation was led by David J. Kramer, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs.

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The United States supported the creation of the "Organization
for Democracy and Economic Development - GUAM" with
Secretariat in Kyiv and pledged to provide appropriate

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assistance. GUAM Members-States reiterated their commitment
to cooperate on strengthening democracy, increasing security,
and deepening political, economic, scientific, and cultural
cooperation in the GUAM region. The United States
congratulated Ukraine on its assumption to the GUAM
chairmanship and reiterated its support for GUAM projects and
for the Organization's goal of regional cooperation and
development.

The Participants addressed the current state and prospects of
the GUAM-U.S. dialogue, and noted with appreciation progress
achieved in advancing the GUAM-U.S. Framework Program, which
is the product of a four-year cooperative effort to generate
concrete, multilateral projects to facilitate regional
security and economic development. Since September 2005, the
GUAM countries have completed their country-based
inter-agency offices for the Virtual Center and Interstate
Information Management System and continued the development
of the regional task force structure intended for conducting
law enforcement cooperation. The GUAM Member States have
also created a Secretariat of the Steering Committee on Trade
and Transportation Facilitation and intensified their
cooperation for this project.

The GUAM Ministers expressed their gratitude to the
Government of the United States for providing technical and
advisory assistance to the organization. The Euro-Atlantic
Advisory Team, established after 2005 Chisinau Summit of GUAM
and sponsored by the United States, has proved to be
efficient and instrumental in assisting implementation of the
GUAM-U.S. Framework Program.

The Participants reaffirmed their willingness to develop
consolidated efforts with a view to strengthening cooperation
in fighting international terrorism, preventing proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction and related technologies,
combating organized crime, and confronting other global
challenges. The joint exploration of ways to confront these
common challenges to the GUAM Member-States and the United

KIEV 00002068 004 OF 004


States constitutes an important aspect of GUAM-U.S.
cooperation.

The United States commended GUAM for promoting
inter-parliamentary cooperation that is considered to become
an effective instrument of parliamentary diplomacy at the
regional and European levels. The GUAM States reiterated
their interest in further deepening cooperation with the
European Union, other organizations and states in fields of
mutual interest, including diversification of energy supplies
with particular focus on the Caspian region, providing
security for energy infrastructure, and realization of the
projects of the GUAM-U.S. Framework Program.

The United States reaffirmed its support for the territorial
integrity of GUAM States, within their internationally
recognized borders.

GUAM Member-States reaffirmed their willingness to proceed
further with the dialogue within the format of the
GUAM-European Union and GUAM-European Union-United States
context.

The Participants agreed to continue mutually beneficial
cooperation, and also to explore new areas of interaction.

They agreed to conduct their next meeting in New York during
general debates of the UN General Assembly session of 2006.

End text.


15. (U) The delegation cleared this cable.


16. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Gwaltney