OSCE SYG, EAPC AMBS SEEK SYNERGY AND COOPERATION,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000426

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SENSITIVE
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR PREL NATO OSCE EAPC
SUBJECT: OSCE SYG, EAPC AMBS SEEK SYNERGY AND COOPERATION,
JULY 11


Summary
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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
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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

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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?)
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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
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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

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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?
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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
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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
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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.

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