ESTONIA: REACTION TO CHISINAU-MOSCOW RAIL LINK AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L TALLINN 001001 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2016 TAGS: ELTN PREL MOPS NATO RS UP EN SUBJECT: ESTONIA: REACTION TO CHISINAU-MOSCOW RAIL LINK AND SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE REFORMS REF: A) STATE 181103 B) STATE 180222 Classified By: A/DCM Eric A. Johnson for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) On November 3 Poloff delivered reftel points (Refs A and B) to Toomas Lukk, MFA Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Dr. Kaupo Kand, MFA Ukraine and Moldova Desk Officer, regarding the decision to close the Chisinau-Moscow rail link and Ukraine's reform efforts. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet had recently returned from visiting Moldova and Ukraine, October 26-29, to discuss both these issues. Later on October 30, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk visited Estonia where these issues were also raised. ¶2. (C) Lukk and Kand were both a part of FM Paet's delegation to Moldova and Ukraine. Lukk and Kand said most of their time was spent discussing the Russian decision to close the Chisinau-Moscow rail link. The Moldovan Foreign Minister, Andrei Stratan, asked the Estonians for their help in raising this issue with the Ukrainians. As Kand relayed, "Stratan said a number of times to Paet that Kyiv is key for any solution." However, Stratan seemed very pessimistic that Ukrainian Prime Minister Yaunokovych would be sympathetic to Moldova's situation. Lukk shared that Poland seemed to have taken the lead on this issue. He was surprised by their desire to meet immediately after the delegation's return and by how well they knew the situation on the ground. ¶3. (C) Unfortunately, the Estonians were not able to spend much time discussing the Chisinau-Moscow rail link with the Ukrainians, either in Kyiv or in Tallinn. FM Paet spent most of his time with FM Borys Tarasyuk discussing Ukraine's reform efforts for eventual NATO and EU membership. According to Lukk, FM Tarasyuk said that both PM Yaunokovych and President Yushenko supported Ukraine's eventual NATO membership -- however, where they differed was on tactics and timetables. It seemed to Kand "a significant reversal for PM Yanukovych in light of his previous fiery anti-NATO rhetoric." FM Paet pledged close cooperation with Ukraine to assist them in their reform efforts. WOS