CHANCELLOR MERKEL'S JUNE 5 MEETING WITH PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000755 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR NATO EUN GM RS SUBJECT: CHANCELLOR MERKEL'S JUNE 5 MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MEDVEDEV IN BERLIN Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE. REASONS: 1.4 ( B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev visited Berlin on June 5 to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials, his first trip to Europe as Russian President. In what was described by the German Federal Chancellery as a meeting to build rapport and a positive relationship between Merkel and Medvedev, sensitive issues such as missile defense, Iran, Kosovo, and MAP for Georgia and Ukraine were not discussed in the bilateral meeting, although Medvedev delivered a speech June 5 that stuck closely to familiar Russian foreign policy positions. Merkel and Medvedev discussed in general terms the need to strengthen the rule of law in Russia, as well as German-Russian cooperation on economics, energy, healthcare, demography, the "Petersburg" civil society dialogue, and the modernization of Russia's infrastructure. The Chancellery expects "continuity" in Germany's relationship with Russia. END SUMMARY -------------- GERMAN PERCEPTIONS OF MEDVEDEV -------------- ¶2. (C) During a briefing at the Chancellery on 6 June, Chancellery senior-director-equivalent Norman Walter described Medvedev as "friendly, open, and non-confrontational." He said the differences in Medvedev's leadership style and that of Vladimir Putin were obvious, and that he believed them to be genuine. Walter said Medvedev's legal background was clearly evident when he and Merkel discussed the rule of law and fighting corruption in Russia, with Medvedev often resorting to legalese during the conversation. Walter offered his personal opinion that Medvedev would not be a puppet of Putin, but rather his own political personality who would eventually take the lead in the future on Russian foreign policy. Open source media reported that the meeting took place in Russian, German, and English, noting that Merkel and Medvedev addressed each other using the formal "Sie", rather than the informal "du", when conversing in German. -------------- -------------- ECONOMIC COOPERATION, NORTH STREAM, AND THE POSITIVE AGENDA -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) The Chancellery underscored the fact that the purpose of the meeting was to further enhance an already positive dialogue and relationship between Germany and Russia. Merkel and Medvedev praised Germany and Russia's economic relationship, highlighting the robust trade that exceeded 50 billion euros last year. Both expected this relationship to continue, but with more of a focus on small and medium enterprises in the future. Merkel and Medvedev agreed on the importance of the North Stream gas pipeline for energy security, and pledged full support and cooperation to further the project as quickly as possible. Merkel added that the concerns of their northern European partners over the pipeline must be addressed in a "transparent way." Merkel and Medvedev praised German-Russian cooperation on healthcare, demography, the Petersburg Dialogue and other bilateral civil society exchanges, and Germany's future role in modernizing Russia's infrastructure. -------------- -------------- STRENGTHENING THE RULE OF LAW/NGO LAW AND KHODORKOVSKIY -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Medvedev reiterated earlier campaign promises to strengthen the rule of law and fight corruption in Russia. Medvedev said he would focus on the structure and jurisdiction of the courts, as well as the training and education of judges. Medvedev believed that strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption were most critical for the emerging middle class in Russian society. Merkel pledged Germany's support on these issues, and said that such an undertaking could further Russia's chances of joining the WTO. Medvedev raised the need for an open media and its importance in the fight against corruption and development of civil society. Merkel praised Medvedev for "softening" the Media Law and welcomed further such actions. Merkel briefly raised the NGO law, expressing the EU's concerns over its implementation and effect on smaller NGOs. Medvedev promised to look into it, but was otherwise noncommittal on the issue. Likewise, Merkel raised the possibility of a pardon for former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovskiy. Medvedev reiterated his previous response on the issue, stating that a pardon must first be requested by Khodorkovskiy and then given due BERLIN 00000755 002 OF 002 process in the courts before he could make a decision. -------------- FOREIGN POLICY -------------- ¶5. (C) Medvedev offered Russia's support for direct discussions between Georgia and Abkhazia in the discussion with Merkel. Medvedev also said that Russia would participate in the June 12 "Friends of Georgia" meeting in Berlin. Merkel stressed that all existing means of dialogue must be used to solve the Abkhazia issue and provocations from both sides must be avoided. Medvedev did not raise MAP for Georgia or Ukraine during his discussions with Merkel, Likewise, neither recent UAV incidents nor the recent increases in Russian troops in Georgia (peacekeepers and construction engineers) were part of their discussion. The Middle East was briefly discussed, albeit in no great detail, with Medvedev informing Merkel that FM Lavrov planned to attend the June 24 Palestinian Security Forces Conference in Berlin. In a speech to a large audience later on June 5, Medvedev focused on many of the modernization issues. On foreign policy, he reiterated well known Russian positions on NATO enlargement, missile defense, Kosovo, and the centrality of the UN in international affairs. He said NATO had "outlived" its usefulness and called for a European security conference in which a European collective security arrangement could be agreed without "bloc" thinking. Asked about freedom of the electronic media (especially television) in Russia, Medvedev defended Russian policy, asserting that media should be independent but also responsible. He insisted that in a few years, the digital world would render traditional media less important, suggesting that further measures to ensure press freedom in Russia were unnecessary. -------------- PRESS CONFERENCE -------------- ¶6. (U) Immediately following their meeting, Merkel and Medvedev held a joint press conference. Merkel said Medvedev's decision to make Berlin his first official European visit was a symbolic expression of the friendly strategic relationship between the two countries. Medvedev said his decision to make Berlin his first European stop as president was not a coincidence, but rather a special sign of the relationship between Russia and Germany. Both Merkel and Medvedev said they expected continuity in the strategic character and direction of relations between Russia and Germany. TIMKEN JR