MFA ON RESETTLEMENT OF NORTH KOREANS

S E C R E T MOSCOW 001501 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2017 TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL RS KN SUBJECT: MFA ON RESETTLEMENT OF NORTH KOREANS REF: A. MOSCOW 708 ¶B. MOSCOW 1006 Classified By: A/POL Colin Cleary. Reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (S) Chief of the MFA's Migration Section Aleksandr Chuplygin told us April 4 that in principle MFA had no objection to resettlement to the U.S. of the six North Koreans that UNHCR has referred (reftels). Chuplygin underscored that the resettlement should be done discreetly and that any publicity on the North Koreans' arrival in the U.S. that suggested Russian involvement would be detrimental to any cooperation on future cases. ¶2. (S) Chuplygin said that the GOR would consider granting exit permission for these cases in keeping with its standard procedures; however, he noted the MFA was not the only ministry involved in such decisions, alluding to the participation of law enforcement and security agencies as well. Chuplygin also said the GOR would want the six to depart using ICRC identification documents and to transit a third country before arriving in the U.S., in keeping with the "gentlemen's agreement" it had with UNHCR on the handling of such cases. BURNS