(U) Secretary Rice's May 31, 2007 Meeting with

UNCLAS PARTO 000008

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP RICE CONDOLEEZZA PREL PHUM OSCE KCFE RS
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Rice's May 31, 2007 Meeting with
the OSCE Permanent Council



1. (U) May 31, 2007, 2:00 PM, Vienna, Austria.


2. (U) Participants:

U.S.
The Secretary
Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried
Assistant Secretary Sean McCormack
Ambassador Julie Finley
General William Fraser, Special Assistant, JCS
Brian Besanceney, Deputy Chief of Staff
Ted Kontek, John Dunlop - notetakers

OSCE
Ambassador Carlos Sanchez de Boado y de la Valgoma
Heads of Delegations for the 56 OSCE Participating States
Heads of Delegations for the OSCE Observer Organizations


3. (U) SUMMARY. Secretary Rice told the OSCE that the
United States pledges to remain active and would continue
to play a leadership role in the organization and its
important work to consolidate a Europe that is whole,
free, democratic, and at peace. She highlighted the
importance of the CFE Treaty as a key component of the
European Security architecture and called on Russia to
implement fully its Istanbul commitments. She reiterated
U.S. support for the Ahtisaari plan for Kosovo, welcomed
the June 7 Bucharest Tolerance conference, and expressed
appreciation for OSCE interest in supporting Afghanistan.
END SUMMARY.

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U.S. TO REMAIN ACTIVE IN OSCE
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4. (U) Secretary Rice appeared on May 31, 2007 before the
heads of delegations of the 56 OSCE States at a special
meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council chaired by
Ambassador Carlos Sanchez de Boado representing the
Spanish Chairmanship. Setting aside her formal remarks to
allow more time for discussion, Secretary Rice said the
OSCE was doing important work to consolidate a Europe that
is whole, free, democratic, and at peace. Citing OSCE's
work in support of elections, human rights, and the
European security architecture, the Secretary pledged that
the United States would continue to remain active and play
a leadership role in the OSCE.


5. (U) Germany, on behalf of the EU and several other
countries, praised U.S.-EU cooperation, highlighted the
importance of the CFE as a bedrock of European security,
and spoke of the need for cooperation in resolving the
frozen conflicts in Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.
Canada and Norway expressed similar viewpoints. Georgia
called on Russia to fulfill its Istanbul commitments,
which would allow for Adapted CFE ratification, and called
for the diversification of energy supplies and
distribution networks.

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RUSSIA MILD ON CFE, OSCE REFORM { SEEKS DIALOGUE
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6. (U) Russian Ambassador Borodavkin said Russia sought
new possibilities for Russian/U.S. cooperation in the


OSCE, citing the example of the Russia/U.S.-sponsored
Private Public Partnership Conference on Combating
Terrorism taking place in Vienna that very day. Russia
and the United States could also cooperate on providing
assistance to Afghanistan to improve border security (see
para 9) and promoting tolerance and non-discrimination,
especially the dialogue of civilizations and the
protection of ethic minorities, he said.


7. (U) Borodavkin listed missile defense, CFE, frozen
conflicts and the need for OSCE reform as areas where US
and Russian positions differed, but said cooperation at
the OSCE in other fields was possible. He renewed Russian
criticisms of the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions
and Human Rights (ODIHR) and cited the need to make ODIHR
accountable to the Permanent Council. He said giving
impetus to the OSCE was in the interests of all
participating states.


8. (U) Secretary Rice told the delegates that a discussion
was necessary to respond to Russian questions on the CFE,
and she insisted that the treaty remained important to the
security architecture of Europe. She underscored that
Russia must implement fully its Istanbul commitments. In
addition, she identified common issues such as the fight
against terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, and work to
enhance and solidify a Europe that is whole, free, and at
peace. The Secretary indicated that the United States has
high hopes for the June 7-8 Bucharest Conference on
Tolerance and stressed the importance of tolerance issues
for the OSCE.

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PROPOSALS FOR AFGHANISTAN ASSISTANCE
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9. (U) The EU, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan spoke
in favor of possible OSCE involvement in Afghanistan. In
particular, they supported projects to improve border
security in Afghanistan to stop the flow of drugs and arms
across that country's common border with three OSCE
countries. Secretary Rice welcomed the OSCE's interest
and said she looked forward to a discussion of what role
the OSCE might play given the other actors involved in
supporting Afghanistan.

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SERBIA PLEADS FOR KOSOVO RECONCILIATION
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10. (U) Serbian Ambassador Beham made a plea for more work
on reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo. Beham
acknowledged differences between the United States and
Serbia, but said those differences could be overcome
through additional dialogue and compromise, as well as
through confidence-building measures between Belgrade and
Pristina. Secretary Rice restated U.S. support for the
Ahtisaari plan, saying that Ahtisaari worked to get the
best deal possible and that now was the time to move
forward and let go of the past. The Secretary also
emphasized U.S. support for Euro-Atlantic integration for
Serbia, and said she expected that a democratic Serbia
would find its full and rightful place in Europe.
RICE