ROMANIA WILL MAKE STRONG STATEMENT RESPONDING TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUCHAREST 000227 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NCE AARON JENSEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2017 TAGS: MARR PREL EZ PL RO SUBJECT: ROMANIA WILL MAKE STRONG STATEMENT RESPONDING TO RUSSIAN THREATS AGAINST MISSILE DEFENSE IN POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC REF: SECSTATE 21640 Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Tanoue for Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d). ¶1. (C) DCM and Pol Counselor delivered reftel demarche on February 27 to MFA State Secretary (de facto Deputy Foreign Minister) Adrian Vierita. Vierita agreed that it was important for Allies to convey to Moscow the message that overreaction on the missile defense issue was neither constructive nor helpful. He said that the MFA had been surprised by the amplitude of the Russian response, even though the basic outlines of the missile defense plan had been quite clear to the Russians for a long time already, and mused as to whether Russian histrionics could be part of a larger approach to other issues including the CFE treaty. Vierita agreed to bring the matter up in the Romanian interagency and to press for a robust GOR statement. ¶2. (C) MFA Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Combatting Terrorism Director Mihaela Vasiu subsequently told Deputy Polcons on February 28 that Romania would make a strong statement in support of the points raised in the U.S. demarche and would continue to stand alongside the U.S. on this issue. Vasiu expressed appreciation for U.S. collaboration and policy coordination on this matter, and noted that the MFA was aware of U.S. efforts to keep Russia fully appraised of the Missile Defense plans including MDA Lt.Gen. Obering,s brief to the NRC on February 28. Vasiu echoed Vierita's comment that the Russian reaction against the Czech Republic and Poland related to the missile defense system was "strange" and, she added, there seemed to be more going on with Russia than is apparent. She agreed with Deputy Polcons that some of this apparent "strangeness" may be related to the remarks reportedly made by Foreign Minister Lavrov on February 20 linking Russian concerns of a U.S. missile defense system with the CFE Treaty. Vasiu said she would keep up appraised on the GOR's position as it develops. TAUBMAN