(C) GOL UNLIKELY TO APPROVE HELICOPTER TRAINING

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000015 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/PRA, AND ISN/CATR E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2016 TAGS: KSTC PARM PREL ETTC MASS IR RS LH SUBJECT: (C) GOL UNLIKELY TO APPROVE HELICOPTER TRAINING FOR IRANIANS REF: A. SECSTATE 1970 ¶B. VILNIUS 1346 (2005) Classified By: Political/Economic Officer Alexander Titolo for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) We delivered ref A points regarding the Lithuanian firm Avia Baltika's license application to broker helicopter training to Iranian pilots in Russia to Martynas Lukosevicius of the MFA'S Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament Division, January 6. Encouraging Lukosevicius to share with us any additional information that becomes available concerning the identity of the Iranian pilots, we advised against approving Avia Baltika's application. Lukosevicius said that the MFA shares our concerns, and will recommend to the Ministry of Economy's licensing division, which has the final decision in this matter, that it not approve Avia Baltika's request for a license. He noted that it is highly unlikely that the Ministry of Economy will approve a license over MFA objections. ¶2. (C) Lukosevicius told us that he expects the Ministry of Economy to decide this issue within two weeks. He said that the Ministry of Defense had requested more information (most notably the identity of the pilots) from Avia Baltika as part of its internal review of this application, but had not yet received this information. We will inform Department septel of the final decision, and any further details about the proposed training or trainees that become available. KELLY