(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