OSCE SYG, EAPC AMBS SEEK SYNERGY AND COOPERATION,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000426 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR PREL NATO OSCE EAPC SUBJECT: OSCE SYG, EAPC AMBS SEEK SYNERGY AND COOPERATION, JULY 11 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut exchanged views with EAPC Ambassadors July 11 on increasing cooperation between the two overlapping organizations. He summarized ongoing OSCE operations, emphasized areas of commonality with the EAPC, and endorsed closer interaction (without offering specific proposals). Acknowledging NATO's security expertise and resources, De Brichambaut promised to be responsive to Allies' and Partners' inputs on the main challenges facing the OSCE, including updating the Vienna Documents, addressing frozen conflicts, and undertaking demilitarization projects. He welcomed a broader debate on the capacity of OSCE as a political and military instrument in the Euro-Atlantic space and beyond. Allies cited NATO's work to develop cooperation with other international organizations in a "comprehensive approach" to security. End Summary. OSCE's Many Roles, NATO's Comprehensive Approach -------------- --- ¶2. (SBU) Meeting with Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Ambassadors at NATO Headquarters on July 11, OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut noted that all SIPDIS 49 nations of the EAPC were among the OSCE's participating states, and that the two organizations shared common values, a determination to work in harmony, and responsibility for promoting Euro-Atlantic stability. While the EAPC was an important forum for political debate and instrument for jointly implementing projects agreed with NATO, he said, the OSCE had responsibility for economic and environmental issues and "the human dimension" as well as political-military issues. He briefed on OSCE activities in demilitarization, counter-terrorism, revision of the CFE treaty, South-East European stability, and Central Asian institution-building. Allies Canada, Norway, and Hungary, along with Partner nation Armenia, linked those OSCE efforts with NATO's work to coordinate with other international security and development organizations to address conflict regions like Afghanistan, security challenges like Kosovo, and frozen conflicts. Updating Vienna Documents (Commitments?) -------------- ¶3. (SBU) De Brichambaut acknowledged the need for further revisions to the Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures in light of Russia's push for the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, but tread lightly on Russia's obligations to withdraw from Georgia and the Transnistria region of Moldova. Representing the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spain's Ambassador Benavides was the first of many Allies to stress the continuing importance of the CFE treaty and NATO's support for negotiating appropriate CSBMs. Canada welcomed any help OSCE could provide to Russia to fulfil its commitments. Norway called the CFE Treaty the cornerstone of European security and underlined its commitment to a speedy ratification. Armenia - in an unusually strong intervention on Russia's commitments - warned that a failed CFE Treaty could ignite a "new arms race with dire consequences." Russia did not intervene. Georgia called for demilitarizing its separatist regions and for a broader OSCE role in border monitoring. In response to questions, De Richambaut reaffirmed the need to reconvene "five plus two" talks on Transnistria (that is, including U.S. and EU observers along with Russian, Ukrainian, and OSCE mediators - the "three plus two"). Maintaining Stability in the Balkans, Caucasus -------------- - ¶5. (SBU) De Brichambaut cited OSCE contributions to Kosovo, its largest mission with over 1000 personnel, focusing on development of free media and training of a multinational police force. With the focus on Kosovo's final status, Serbia assumed a constructive role, highlighting its contributions to monitoring domestic war crime trials and aiding in the return of refugees, and appealed to Allies not to set "artificial deadlines" for the separation of Kosovo. Serbian Ambassador Milinkovic insisted that Belgrade had "new ideas" and would be ready to compromise if negotiations were allowed to continue. Spain applauded OSCE,s contribution to USNATO 00000426 002 OF 002 democratic development in the region. Macedonia questioned what role OSCE might play in demarcating the Kosovo-Macedonia border. Hungary asked what the OSCE could do to prevent Kosovo from becoming a frozen conflict. Brichambaut acknowledged that the security situation in the region continued to be fraught with challenges. Azerbaijan's presentation of grievances on Nagorno-Karabakh was gracefully parried by Armenian Ambassador Mkrtchian's upbeat prognosis for continuing negotiations. Work Together in Afghanistan? -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On Afghanistan, a number of Ambassadors urged greater OSCE involvement. Spain and Canada stressed the importance of managing borders and highlighted Kazakhstan as an important regional player, along with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Norway urged OSCE involvement in Afghanistan police training and border management. Canada urged the OSCE to play a role in curbing drug trafficking. De Brichambaut responded that while OSCE was not directly involved in Afghanistan, he recognized possibilities for future engagement, with border management as a first step. He cautioned that OSCE must have the support of the host country, the consent of all OSCE members, and a secure environment in which to work. De-conflicting Demilitarization -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Allies, Partners, and de Brichambaut agreed on the need to de-conflict NATO and OSCE work on eliminating excess stocks of land mines, small arms and light weapons (SALW) and toxic melange rocket fuel, and to work better together on resettling redundant military personnel in nations that were downsizing their armed forces. Canada stressed that weapons control in Ukraine must remain a coordinated effort. (NOTE: Ukraine is seeking OSCE and NATO assistance in eliminating its huge stocks of melange, which might have the unintended effect of siphoning funds from ongoing demilitarization projects there and elsewhere. The U.S.-led NATO/PfP Trust Fund for the elimination of excess small weapons and munitions in Ukraine, currently the largest demilitarization project in the world, is nearing completion of the first of three phases projected to take twelve years.) Central Asia - Spotlight on Kazakhstan -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Kazakhstan took advantage of the OSCE theme to make a strong pitch for its bid for OSCE Chairmanship in 2009. Ambassador Zhigalov cited Kazakhstan's constitutional and legal reforms, local self-government, development of civil society, less-fettered media, and cooperation with ODIHR in the run-up to Parliamentary elections in August in an unsolicited and unprecedented presentation to the EAPC on Kazakhstan's democratization. NULAND NULAND