ESTONIA HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TALLINN 000567 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV FI RS EN SUBJECT: ESTONIA HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE NORTHERN DIMENSION TALLINN 00000567 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary. On June 9, the Finnish and Estonian MFAs co-hosted in Tallinn a major conference on a renewed Northern Dimension (ND) to enhance regional and cross- border cooperation. High level speakers, including the Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, participated in the event. The conference reviewed the ND?s achievements to date and upcoming priorities for the ND during the Finnish EU Presidency and beyond. The Finns, supported by the Estonians, expressed a strong interest in giving the Northern Dimension a higher profile in the EU ? Russia relationship. The Russians were cool to the idea. End Summary. RENEWING THE ND'S MANDATE AND DIRECTION -------------- ¶2. (U) Since its launch by Finland in 1997 and incorporation into EU policy in 1999, Estonia has viewed the ND as an important tool for encouraging regional growth and development through infrastructure development, as well as a means of promoting cross- border cooperation with Russia. To date the ND has been centered on encouraging regional cooperation in the following areas: improving economic, business, infrastructure relations; improving educational and cultural ties; furthering science, technology, and research (STR) relations; coordinating and cooperating in environmental safety (including nuclear safety and natural resources protection); coordinating on cross- border cooperation and regional development; and working to better harmonize differing legal traditions and framework. The ND has operated within the framework of the EU?s Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Russia. ¶3. (U) During the June 9 conference Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja made clear the Finns see the renewal of the ND as a priority during their EU Presidency. Tuomioja reminded the audience that coming out of last November?s ND Ministerial Meeting there was consensus that Northern Dimension policy would be "the regional expression in the North of Europe of the four Common Spaces and their road maps, agreed at the May EU/Russia Summit." The ND's current action plan ("AP- 2") is set to expire at end of 2007. When it does, Tuomioja said it would be replaced by a Framework Document "permanent in nature, and of a more political character than the action plans." A first draft of the document, prepared by the European Commission, has been revised to incorporate Russia's concerns. The GOF hopes to have an agreed text ready for adoption at the EU- Russia Summit in December. ¶4. (U) FM Tuomioja outlined seven key areas for progress on the ND during Finland's upcoming EU Presidency: - Ensuring ownership of any ND policy by all member states. - New and strengthened mechanisms to ensure efficient implementation and follow-up of ND policy. - Additional financing for environmental partnerships. - More political and financial contributions towards the health and well-being partnerships. - An expansion of new partnerships, particularly in transport and logistics in the region. - The inclusion of energy matters under the ND (one example being the inclusion of small and medium sized energy efficiency projects in NW Russia into the environmental partnerships). RUSSIAN CONCERNS -------------- ¶5. (U) Sergey Ryabkov, Russian Federation MFA Director for European Cooperation, outlined clear areas of Russian disappointment in the ND. While the GOR supports the ND's objectives, Ryabkov took issue with FM Tuomioja's description of it as an "under-rated success story." He offered three principal criticisms. First, the ND is in danger of becoming too large and unwieldy. The desire by the Finns and other member states to expand the number and area of partnerships would only worsen the problem. Second, the ND needed financial resources of its own, rather than be dependent upon a hodge-podge of financial backers (the EC, member states, municipalities, local government, etc.). Third, Partner Countries were not adequately consulted or engaged in the decision making process. GOR opinion wasn't taken into account during the negotiations and crafting of TALLINN 00000567 002.2 OF 002 ND's first and section action plans, since they were considered EU policy. ¶6. (U) Rybakov argued that ND needed to be radically rethought and restructured. Partnerships created in the framework of ND should be re-prioritized and modeled after the ND Environmental Partnership, which the GOR considers a real success story. Inefficient partnerships, such as the ND partnerships for Health and Well-being, needed radical overhaul. ¶7. (U) Consequently, Rybakov said the GOR desires a concise Framework document that clearly states the ND's objectives, and identifies the necessary structures for achieving them, without redefining priorities set in the Guidelines. Moreover, Rybakov proposed that ND Ministerial meetings take place on a biennial (rather than annual) basis, with senior official meetings every alternating year (or when necessary). Real work could be carried out by a Steering Group that would meet at least three times a year. All of this would be coordinated by an ND Secretary, rotating among member states for a one year period (and funded by the member state acting as Secretary). ¶8. (SBU) Comment: The Estonians are clearly interested in seeing a renewed Northern Dimension during the Finnish Presidency. A number of Finnish and Estonian MFA officials commented privately during the conference that they hoped to see the ND become the northern equivalent of the Barcelona Process. There was some concern that the Russians were attempting to preemptively water down the ND in both substance and profile and that Russian calls for greater efficiency and a rotating ND secretariat were simply a canard. WOS