GERMAN RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN ARMS SALES DEMARCHE

S E C R E T BERLIN 000754 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2018 TAGS: ETTC MASS PARM PREL IR RS GM SUBJECT: GERMAN RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN ARMS SALES DEMARCHE REF: SECSTATE 59707 Classified By: MINISTER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE FOR REASONS 1.4 (b),(c), and (d) ¶1. (S) On 4 June 2008, visiting DAS David Merkel delivered reftel demarche to Rolf Nikel, Chancellery Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor. Nikel acknowledged the importance of addressing the issue with Russia and agreed to discuss it with Merkel prior to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Berlin from 5-6 June. DAS Merkel provided Nikel with reftel nonpaper, which Nikel read and assured that it would be reviewed with Chancellor Merkel and put into her agenda with Medvedev where applicable. ¶2. (S) Nikel agreed that Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria could be a destabilizing factor in the Middle East. Nikel said Chancellor Merkel's high level of engagement with ISRAEL and Germany's military commitment in Lebanon made Germany's interest greater than mere "theoretical appeal." He said Germany had a vested interest in not allowing Russian arms sales to "destabilize the equation" in the Middle East. ¶3. (S) DCM John Koenig learned on 5 June from National Security Advisor Christoph Heusgen that Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria were not discussed during Merkel's meeting with Medvedev. According to Heusgen, many issues on Merkel's agenda were not discussed due to time constraints and the short nature of Medvedev's trip. Heusgen emphasized that the meeting focused on developing a positive relationship between Merkel and Medvedev and was not intended to discuss more sensitive issues in detail. TIMKEN JR