Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RIGA144
2007-02-27 07:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riga
Cable title:  

LATVIA ISSUES STRONG STATEMENT ON MISSILE DEFENSE,

Tags:  PARM MARR PREL RS EUN LG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000144 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2017
TAGS: PARM MARR PREL RS EUN LG
SUBJECT: LATVIA ISSUES STRONG STATEMENT ON MISSILE DEFENSE,
COUNTERS RUSSIAN CLAIMS

REF: STATE 21640

Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. Reason: 1.4 (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000144

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2017
TAGS: PARM MARR PREL RS EUN LG
SUBJECT: LATVIA ISSUES STRONG STATEMENT ON MISSILE DEFENSE,
COUNTERS RUSSIAN CLAIMS

REF: STATE 21640

Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey. Reason: 1.4 (D)


1. (C) Pol/econ chief delivered reftel points on missile
defense to Latvian Political Director Ilgavrs Klava February

23. As Latvian FM Pabriks had just received a call from his
Lithuanian counterpart on this issue, Klava was grateful for
our points. He said Latvia would look to issue a statement
on this issue, which it did on February 26 (text in para 4
below). Subsequently, pol/econ chief encouraged Klava to
have Latvia pursue a coordinated EU statement on this issue.
Klava was skeptical this would be possible and did not think
Latvia should take the lead on this, but said they would
support others who made such an approach. MFA director of
security policy Kapars Ozoloins told pol/econ chief February
26 that Latvia would draw on the statement for upcoming MD
discussions at NATO, including in the NATO-Russia Council.


2. (C) On the evening of February 26, Ambassador Bailey
thanked FM Pabriks for Latvia's strong statement on this
issue and encouraged him to use it in discussions at the EU
and NATO on the issue. Pabriks agreed that Latvia would draw
from this statement in various international discussions.


3. (C) Comment: The Latvians were surprisingly forward
leaning in this statement, especially given their delicate
negotiations with Russia over the border treaty. While they
recognize that an EU statement would provide them some
additional cover with Moscow, they appear unwilling to take
the lead on this. Our assessment is that this stems mainly
from an unwillingness to take on the bigger EU states who
oppose our MD efforts. End comment.


4. (U) Begin text of Latvian MFA statement:

In response to the recent information published in media
outlets regarding the development of a global anti-ballistic
missile defense system and the possible deployment of the
elements of the system in Poland and the Czech Republic, the
Latvian Foreign Minister, Artis Pabriks, stressed the
importance of the development of a U.S. proposed global
missile defense system in view of the current global threats
caused by the uncontrolled spread of weapons of mass
destruction and ballistic (missile) technology. Mr. Pabriks
also noted that the system will contribute to the safety of
the people of Latvia,

The U.S. developed anti-ballistic missile defense system is
primarily directed the potential threats from the countries
of the Persian Gulf region which develop nuclear programs and
missile technology in an uncontrolled way. The United
Nations and the European Union are currently working on a
package of sanctions to impose on Iran for that country's
refusal to halt its uranium enrichment program and to allow
international monitoring of (its nuclear) program.

The development of the anti-ballistic missile defense system
is not directed against Russia. For a number of years the
U.S. has been regularly informing Russia about its policy in
the area of anti-ballistic missile defense and about the
plans and programs pertaining to the system to be created.
Neither in its technical aspects, nor from its geographic
locality is the U.S. anti-ballistic missile defense system
being created as a counter to the Russian nuclear potential.
Therefore, Latvia considers that the eventual deployment of
separate elements of the system - radar and interceptor
missiles - in the Czech Republic and Poland respectively
could not threaten Russia in any way.

Statements by individual Russian officials about the threats
to Russian caused by the Global anti-ballistic missile
defense system and the eventual targeting of Russian missiles
against Poland and the Czech Republic should be regarded as
obsolete thinking more appropriate to past Cold War times and
which is not appropriate for the 21st century.

Currently, a directly opposite understanding is required -
the international community must cooperate to prevent an
uncontrolled spread of weapons of mass destruction and to
upgrade the technical means of defense, including an
anti-ballistic missile defense system, that could most
effectively prevent these eventual threats.
BAILEY