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