ESTONIA HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE

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SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV FI RS EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE
NORTHERN DIMENSION


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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

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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