LAVROV VISIT TO RIGA OFF FOR SEPTEMBER 17

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000648 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2012 TAGS: PREL PBTS RS LG SUBJECT: LAVROV VISIT TO RIGA OFF FOR SEPTEMBER 17 REF: RIGA 647 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Stuart M. Seldowitz. Reason: 1. 4 (d) (C) Shortly after sending reftel, Charge received a call August 29 from Latvian MFA State Secretary Normans Penke reporting that the Russians had now formally called off the Lavrov visit to Riga discussed for September 17. Penke said the reason was the Russian side would not be prepared to exchange instruments of ratification on the border treaty by that date. Penke said that Russians also declined to send DFM Titov at this time. Responding to Charge's question, Penke said that the GOL was fine with this decision and expected that Lavrov would visit Riga at a later date (Penke speculated on mid to late October) once Russia had ratified the treaty. SELDOWITZ