ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM: DEMARCHE ON U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 001319

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR PARM ARF RS
SUBJECT: ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM: DEMARCHE ON U.S.
INITIATIVES DELIVERED

REF: STATE 33907

Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells. Reasons: 1.4(B/D).


1. (C) We previewed reftel U.S. initiatives to be tabled at
the Helsinki ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting with Dmitriy
Lukiyantsev, a Counselor in the MFA's Department of ASEAN and
Asia Pacific Regional Affairs. Lukiyantsev said the GOR was
interested in encouraging the ARF to be more responsive to
new threats and challenges and noted Moscow's longstanding
interest in non-proliferation issues. He promised to inform
the Department Director, who will attend the March 28-30
Helsinki meeting, about the U.S. initiatives.


2. (C) Lukiyantsev identified Russia's top ARF priority
this year as securing adoption of an ARF Chairman's statement
endorsing "inter-civilizational dialogue." The GOR views ARF
endorsement of a dialogue as an important step for the
organization's counterterrorism efforts. Russia will provide
a short presentation on the statement in Finland and hoped
for a more substantive discussion at the May 25 Senior
Officials Meeting, with adoption of the statement at the
August ministerial. Lukiyantsev said that Japan and
Singapore had already provided the GOR with a favorable
reaction to an early draft.
BURNS