LITHUANIAN FM MEETS WITH RUSSIAN FOREIGN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 001037

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2016
TAGS: PREL EUN ENRG RS LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIAN FM MEETS WITH RUSSIAN FOREIGN,
TRANSPORT MINISTERS

REF: VILNIUS 1007

Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Rebecca Dunham for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) Summary. Lithuanian FM Vaitiekunas's discussions
November 14 with Russia's Foreign and Transport Ministers in
Moscow focused on positive areas of cooperation, like
Kaliningrad policy and the EU-Russia PCA, as well as touchier
subjects such as energy supply and neighborhood policy.
Vaitiekunas sought to encourage future high-level dialogue
about all issues, including sensitive topics. End Summary.

Lithuanian FM Meets Russia's Foreign, Transport Ministers
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2. (C) Vaitiekunas talked about "all the issues" with
Russia's Ministers during the November 14 Lithuanian-Russia
Intergovernmental Commission, according to Head of the MFA's
Russia/CIS Department Arunas Vinciunas, who accompanied the
Minister on the trip. The hot topics were Kaliningrad,
recent expulsions of diplomats from both Lithuania and
Russia, and Russia's closure, ostensibly for repairs, of the
Druzhba pipeline serving Lithuania's Maziekiu Nafta oil
refinery. The Ministers also discussed the EU-Russia PCA
agreement, gas supply to Georgia, and even "old issues" such
as the return of Soviet-era bank deposits and the unsolved
1991 murder of seven Lithuanian border guards at Medininkai.


3. (C) Lithuania's goal was to encourage ongoing high-level
engagement on a broad range of issues, said Vinciunas, not
hammer away on trouble spots. Vaitiekunas told the
Ambassador before the meeting that he would push Lavrov on
"European values" on the one hand, while suggesting positive
areas for cooperation on the other (reftel). Vaitiekunas
raised Kaliningrad issues first, which Vinciunas called
Lithuania's "trump card" with Russia. Vaitiekunas briefed
Lavrov on Lithuania's efforts to keep the current no-fee visa
arrangement for Kaliningrad residents following Lithuania's
anticipated entry into the Schengen zone. The sides agreed
on payment for the Kaliningrad-Lithuania border demarcation
commission. They discussed existing arrangements to
cooperate on transit issues and search and rescue operations
in the Baltic Sea. Lithuania is urging Russia to have a
Minister-level border demarcation ceremony next spring near
Nida, a picturesque Lithuanian town near the Kaliningrad
border on the Corunian spit. He said Levitin and Lavrov did
not dismiss the idea.

Lavrov complains about diplomat's expulsion, Lahti reaction
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4. (C) Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov took issue with
Lithuania about "embarrassing" acts towards Russia, including
the October expulsion of a Russian diplomat for spying and
Lithuanian President Adamkus's characterization to the press
of the informal EU-Russia Summit in Lahti. On the former,
Vinciunas told us that the MFA had not intended to embarrass
Russia by expelling the Russian Embassy's First Secretary
Oleg Ryabchikov in October. They wanted to expel him
quietly, Vinciunas said, but failed to keep the incident from
the press. Vinciunas added that the day after the Foreign
Ministers met in Russia, Moscow expelled a Lithuanian
diplomat who was planning to leave Moscow this week anyway.
On Lahti, Lavrov reportedly said that Adamkus's statements to
the press, presumably those in which he described the EU's
"tough message" to Putin, "seemed designed to embarrass
Russia."

Russia-EU PCA
--------------


5. (C) Lavrov raised the EU-Russia Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement (PCA),to which Lithuania had withdrawn
its reservations at the GAERC the day before. Vinciunas
refuted reports carried by ITAR TASS that Vaitiekunas made a
statement in Moscow disapproving of Poland's decision to
block a mandate for the EU-Russia PCA. Back in Vilnius, the
FM issued a statement of solidarity with Poland regarding
Russia's restrictions on trade and energy. Vinciunas told us
Lithuania was sympathetic to Poland's decision even though
Lithuania itself ultimately lifted its two reservations in
exchange for language about energy supply in the PCA
negotiating mandate. Vinciunas added that he thinks Poland's
tactics backfired, and that he personally believed they would
back down before the EU-Russia Summit November 24. Vinciunas
said the GOL was pleased with the EU positions going into the
November 24 EU-Russia Summit, saying that Lithuania suggested
few changes to the papers and that all had been accepted.

Pipeline Woes
--------------



6. (C) Lavrov reportedly raised Russia's closure of the
Druzhba pipeline which once delivered crude oil to
Lithuania's Maziekiu Nafta refinery. Vinciunas said Lavrov
"incredibly swore the pipeline was closed only for technical
reasons," and a technical evaluation in March 2007 would
determine if the pressure could be increased enough to again
deliver crude to Maziekiu Nafta. Asked if he believed
Lavrov, Vinciunas said, "no."

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


7. (C) Vaitiekunas raised Lithuania's diplomacy with Georgia,
emphasizing that the GOL has advised Georgia to de-escalate
its rhetoric in seeking a solution with Russia. Lavrov "did
not really reply" to the FM's comments on Georgia, Vinciunas
said, except to say that raising the price of natural gas to
Georgia was part of a greater policy change toward all its
export markets.

Lithuania seeking future engagement
--------------


8. (C) The GOL plans to invite Lavrov to Lithuania in Spring
2007, perhaps to the proposed border demarcation ceremony at
Nida. The Russian side seemed open to a border demarcation
ceremony on the sidelines of another Intergovernmental
Commission to take place in Kaliningrad, although Vinciunas
said this is not yet agreed.
CLOUD