PUTIN-YUSCHENKO INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 004065 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2017 TAGS: PREL NATO UP RS SUBJECT: PUTIN-YUSCHENKO INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Alice Wells. Reason: 1.4 (b /d) ¶1. (C) The scheduled August 15-20 meeting between Presidents Putin and Yuschenko within the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission was postponed to late October or early November. MFA Ukraine Desk Head Vyacheslav Yelagin told us the GOU wanted to focus on the September 30 parliamentary elections; he added that the exact date of the Putin-Yuschenko meeting will probably not be determined until after the elections. Yelagin stressed that the biannual presidential Intergovernmental Commission meetings play an important role in Russia's efforts to address the "numerous challenges" in the bilateral relationship. The MFA official cited as an example Russia's plans to press Ukraine to "synchronize" its World Trade Organization accession talks with Russia, arguing that the significant trade relationship between the two countries could be jeopardized if Ukraine entered the trade organization first. ¶2. (C) Political Counselor at the Ukrainian Embassy Yuriy Lezebnik agreed that the Intergovernmental Commission was a "substantive and effective body", and not merely a showpiece. Lezebnik pointed out that in preparation for the presidential-level meetings, Intergovernmental Commission working groups at the deputy minister level and below meet almost on a monthly basis. He commented that the Intergovernmental Commission is a useful forum to address Russia's myriad fears about the current direction of Ukraine's foreign and economic policy. ¶3. (C) Lezebnik explained that the Intergovernmental Commission's preparatory and presidential meetings have been used to "discuss openly and honestly" the thorniest issues in the bilateral relationship, such as Ukraine's possible accession to NATO. He stressed that Kyiv is fully aware of the need to work patiently through Russian concerns about the NATO-Ukraine relationship. The Ukrainian diplomat noted that during the week of August 6 there were meetings at the deputy foreign minister level between the two countries to prepare for talks on NATO-Ukraine at the Intergovernmental Commission meeting in October. Melville