RFG - OSLO NRC MINISTERIAL TASKING AND 2007 NRC

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000237 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/RUS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2017 TAGS: NATO PREL RS SUBJECT: RFG - OSLO NRC MINISTERIAL TASKING AND 2007 NRC WORK PLAN REF: A. 10 APR SMYTH/PETERSON E-MAIL ¶B. NRC PREP N (2007) 0013 ¶C. NRC PREP N (2007) 0013 REV. 1 ¶D. 11 APR CDA OLSON/DAS KRAMER TELCON Classified By: CDA R. OLSON; REASONS 1.4 (B) and (D). 1.(U) This is a request for guidance; see paras. 4-5. ¶2. (C) In an April 10 NATO-Russia preparatory committee (prepcom) discussion of the proposed language for a possible statement or tasker from the April 27 NRC ministerial (ref. A/B),the Russian Federation sought to add the contested language earlier deleted from the 2007 NRC Work Plan para. 4 ("...taking into account the security interests of all NRC members states...")to the tasker tick on Missile Defense. USNATO subsequently bracketed the entire tick related to Missile Defense. The NRC prepcom proposed postponing further discussion of this tick until after the April 19 reinforced NRC, although we anticipate that discussion of this issue nevertheless may arise beforehand. On April 11, the NATO International Staff (I.S.) issued a revised possible statement or tasker text (ref. C). 3.(C) New I.S. text as of April 11: Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Russia Council: -- Recognizing the strategic importance of the NATO-Russia Council and the shared interest of NATO member states and Russia in promoting security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond, look forward to the tenth anniversary of the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the fifth anniversary of the NATO-Russia Council as an important opportunity to re-energise both practical cooperation and political dialogue; task NRC Ambassadors to develop concrete proposals in this regard prior to their 26 June meeting in Moscow; -- Recognising the particular interest of NATO-Russia Council member states in promoting security and stability in and around Afghanistan, task the NATO-Russia Council to develop a package of measures aimed at strengthening NATO-Russia cooperation in this area; -- Reaffirming the importance of approaching current security issues in a frank and open manner, task the NATO-Russia Council to develop practical ideas for improving the quality and effectiveness of the NATO-Russia political dialogue; -- Welcoming progress made in developing NATO-Russia cooperation on theatre missile defence, and expressing confidence in the potential for broader cooperation in this area, recognise the need for continued dialogue on missile defence issues; in this context, note the results of the 19 April 2007 reinforced meeting on missile defence, and task the NATO-Russia Council to explore possibilities for cooperation in this area, in order to advance the security of all NRC member states; -- Recognising the importance of public awareness of cooperation in the NRC framework, task the NATO-Russia Council to develop recommendations for raising public awareness of the NRC's goals and achievements, including a programme of public diplomacy activities in connection with the anniversary events; -- Task NRC Ambassadors, prior to the December 2007 NRC Foreign Ministerial meeting, to report on progress in implementing the "Recommendations for Priorities in the Further Development of NATO-Russia Relations" adopted at our April 2006 meeting in Sofia. 4.(C) Based on ref. A instructions, CDA Olson and DAS Kramer discussed a way forward on the tasker which would include seeking it as an internal NRC document as well as seeking inclusion of a tick reiterating the importance of meeting the CFE Istanbul Commitments. We would welcome a draft text on this issue prior to the April 13 NRC prepcom. We will proceed accordingly in consultation with like-minded Allies. 5.(C) We request guidance as to whether the language, including the Missile Defense elements in tick four, for the internal tasker in the revised I.S. language is acceptable and whether we should oppose the above para. 2 new Russia text which we anticipate that they could seek to add to the new I.S. text. OLSON