CFE: VCC AND VCC EXPERTS' MEETINGS, MAY 16, 2007

1. (C) SUMMARY: At the May 16 VCC and VCC experts' meetings:

a. The U.S. announced an upcoming Vienna Document inspection
in Sweden during the time a Swedish exercise below Vienna
Document thresholds will be conducted;

b. Experts agreed to attempt to hold a NATO Vienna Document
course in Central Asia;

c. The U.S. obtained its goals for a one-year trial period
for NATO internal coordination of Vienna Document
inspections, and a revised paper will be circulated for
further discussion and decision at the July 17 VCC;

d. A new draft agenda for the 2007 VCC Seminar in October was
circulated and will be discussed at the July 17 VCC meeting;

e. During reports on conducted CFE inspections, the U.S.
reported on its inspection at Kovrov in Russia the week of 23
April;

f. The U.S. points in reference A regarding documenting
ambiguities and the definition of an inspection site were
generally accepted with a request that the U.S. provide its
precise language to the staff;

g. U.S. points in reference to the start of the Residual
Level Period, updates of the list of inspectors, and
notification of new equipment were accepted by Allies;

h. The next VCC and experts' meeting to address the above
issues will be held on July 17. END SUMMARY.



2. (C) Allies announced the following upcoming Vienna
Document inspections:

-- Bulgaria in Macedonia in week 27;

-- France in Cyprus 25-28 June;

-- Germany in Armenia in week 25; and

-- Hungary in Serbia 3-6 July by a bilateral agreement.



3. (C) Problems reported by allies during Vienna Document
inspection visits:

a. Germany reported that during a 16-21 February inspection
in the Nakhichivan area of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijanis
declared a special security zone with limited access along
the Armenian border, and the Germans requested a common NATO
approach to this without any real response (COMMENT: the U.S.
has not experienced this problem before);

b. During week 13, a Swedish inspection was refused by
Uzbekistan with no reason given; and

c. A Canadian inspection in Tajikistan, that had been
originally denied with no reason given, was allowed to
proceed on 23-25 April after senior-level diplomatic pressure
was brought to bear.



4. (SBU) Follow-up to Seminar for Central Asian Republics:
The experts and the VCC agreed that the NATO School's Vienna
Document course should be conducted in Central Asia in early
2008, probably in Turkmenistan. A lead nation is being
sought.



5. (C) Coordination of Vienna Document activities with
non-Allies: After distribution and presentation of a U.S.
analysis regarding Vienna Document inspections from 2002
through 2006 (reference A), experts accepted the idea of an
internal NATO full coordination of Vienna Document
inspections for 2008 on a trial basis. The discussion by
Allies revealed uncertainties whether a program similar to
CFE-paired inspections should be initiated with selected
partners during this trial (some Allies were concerned that
in the CFE Pairing process, partners automatically get their
inspection plans accepted). Germany agreed to the trial
idea, but reiterated that it thought that the next step

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should be coordination with non-NATO partners in Vienna
because "the Cold War is over." COMMENT: this is reminiscent
of a similar German push for coordinating CFE inspections at
thirty that was rejected during the development of NATO
positions for the adapted CFE Treaty. The staff will prepare
a new food-for-thought paper on the subject, to be discussed
at the July 17 VCC and experts' meetings.



6. (SBU) Voluntary CSBM on Military Exercises Below VD 99
Thresholds: Nothing was reported, however, during discussion
of coordination of Vienna Document activities with
non-Allies, the U.S. representative suggested that
consideration be given to encouraging nations making such
notifications to include a voluntary extra Vienna Document
inspection quota.



7. (SBU) Exchange of information on Open Skies: Several
Allies reported on recent Open Skies missions. Poland noted
that during a Polish Open Skies mission in April over Belarus
and Russia, the Russian escorts were hostile and abusive
about Poland's joining NATO.



8. (SBU) Training: The staff reported that permission has
been given for South Korea to participate in the logistics
course.



9. (SBU) Preparations for the 2007 VCC Seminar: The staff
circulated a draft two-day agenda which includes all of the
topics (see reference D) approved under silence. This
subject will also be on the July 17 VCC agenda.



10. (SBU) Paired Inspections: The staff announced that no
one had yet responded concerning the Georgian request for
paired inspections in September. This topic will also be
revisited on July 17.



11. (SBU) Documenting Ambiguities, use of GPS during
inspections, and definition of inspection site: The staff
announced that use of GPS had been approved under silence
procedure. After the U.S. representative responded per
guidance on the use of digital cameras, the staff requested
that the U.S. provide specific language for the previously
circulated paper on this issue. Similarly, after the U.S.
representative executed guidance regarding the paper on the
definition of an inspected site, the staff requested specific
U.S. language.



12. (U) POET issues: The staff announced that, if silence
was not broken by May 24, the latest POET paper would be
forwarded to Vienna for use by the JCG-T.



13. (U) Information exchange issues: After the U.S.
representative, per guidance, addressed past JCG-agreed texts
on both dates for update lists of inspectors and transport
crew members and the start date of the residual level period,
Allies agreed that these resolved the issues raised by one
Ally on these topics.
NULAND