INITIAL REACTIONS IN MOSCOW TO DPRK MISSILE LAUNCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 007084

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C O R R E C T E D COPY - PARA 6 AND 7

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016
TAGS: PREL MNUC KN RS
SUBJECT: INITIAL REACTIONS IN MOSCOW TO DPRK MISSILE LAUNCH


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Classified By: A/POL Bruce Donahue. Reasons: 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Summary. The Russian MFA issued a strongly worded
statement at 2:00 p.m. Moscow time on July 5 in response to
the DPRK missile launches. The MFA spokesman was on the
record as day began in Moscow calling the launches a
"provocation." Our colleagues in the ROK and Japanese
embassies told us their Foreign Ministers were reaching out
the same day to Russian Minister Lavrov. The Chinese told us
they had no new message for the Russians, though they
expressed regret at the launch. Russian media covered the
launches extensively, focusing on reports that at least one
of the test missiles may have landed closer to Russia than to
Japan, though commentators were divided on how to interpret
those reports. End summary.

Russians React Firmly But Cautiously
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2. (U) The Russian Foreign Ministry released its official
statement at 2:00 pm Moscow time to the DPRK's missile
launches several hours prior. (Note: The Embassy faxed a
copy of the statement in Russian to the Operations Center.
End Note.) MFA spokesman Mikhail Kamynin had expressed an
initial GOR reaction in interviews published by the news
agencies Interfax and RIA Novosti as the day began. Kamynin
called the launches a "provocation (which) seriously
complicates the situation surrounding the Korean nuclear
program" and said they clearly harmed prospects for regional
stability and confidence-buliding in the region.

Diplomatic Efforts in Moscow
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3. (C) We spoke the morning of July 5 with colleagues in the
ROK, Japanese and Chinese embassies. ROK political officer
Jung Ben-hu told us that Ministers Ban and Lavrov had spoken
by telephone at 11:00 a.m. Moscow time. Jung was also
attempting to arrange a meeting for himself with the MFA
First Asia Department to reiterate the ROK position on the
launch, which he said President Roh had already expressed
publicly. He said he would also ask the Russians whether
they had had advance notice of the launches. He said they
had told him only a day earlier that they had no information
that the DPRK planned to carry them out.


4. (C) Japanese political officer Jun Miura said a phone
call between Ministers Aso and Lavrov had been arranged for
early afternoon. In the meantime, the Japanese ambassador,
on instructions from Tokyo, had already spoken briefly with
DFM Aleksandr Alekseyev. The ambassador conveyed Tokyo's
resolve for UNSC action "within a week" to denounce the
launches. Alekseyev reportedly responded that Russia's
position on DPRK missile launches was well known, and that
the MFA would be releasing a statement before the end of the
day. Our Japanese colleague said he had delivered the same
message to the MFA International Organizations Department.


5. (C) Chinese Political Counselor Gui Tsunyu told us his
last contact with the Russians on the launches was a meeting
with MFA First Asia Department Deputy Director Aleksandr
Timonin a week earlier. Gui said Russia's and China's
positions on a then-potential launch were the same. He said
there were no plans for Ministers Li and Lavrov to speak July
5, and that China awaited the UNSC meeting later in the day
in New York. Gui conveyed Chinese reget over the launch.

Further Press Coverage
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7. (U) Commentary in the Russian press on the launches
appeared thoughout the day. Several stories took note of
reports that two of the DPRK missiles had been fired in the
direction of the Russian Far East. Some expressed alarm at
Japanese reports that one of the rockets may have fallen 250
km from the Russian city of Nakhodka. In apparent response
to these reports, MFA spokesman Kamynin stressed that "for
our part, we are continuing to gather the information
necessary to determine the precise location where the
missiles came down. We are preparing our official reaction
accordingly." No news report we saw accused the DPRK
missiles of violating Russian airspace, though at least one
said the missiles "infringed on our maritime economic zone."
Several Duma Deputies, including Igor Barinov and
International Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev
were cited as saying the Russian military had not yet
confirmed the missiles' landing points.


8. (C) One news outlet published comments by Federation
Council International Affairs Committee Chairman Mikhail
Margelov, who called on the international community to give a
"proportionate" reaction to the missile launches -- avoiding

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attempts to isolate North Korea or "senseless sanctions or
other 'punishments'" -- and for more dialogue with the DPRK,
in which he said Russia and China would participate actively.
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