ROMANIA PROPOSES POST-CONFLICT TRAINING CENTER,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 000290

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/NCE A. JENSEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL SOCI SENV ECIN RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA PROPOSES POST-CONFLICT TRAINING CENTER,
OTHER BLACK SEA PROJECTS

REF: 07 BUCHAREST 0143


1. (SBU) Summary: Political Director Stefan Tinca briefed
NATO and EU member state embassies on April 8 on the GOR's
renewed proposal for a post-conflict reconstruction training
center in Romania. He also discussed Romania's broader
strategy for the Black Sea Region following the successful
NATO Summit, which emphasized "soft security" projects in
support of civil society, the environment, emergency
management, migration, and education. The Turkish
representative sharply criticized Tinca's proposal to
resuscitate the Black Sea Forum in 2009 at the ministerial
level. End Summary.


2. (SBU) MFA Director General for Political Affairs Stefan
Tinca invited NATO and EU member state embassies on April x
to preview plans for a Training Center in Romania dedicated
to post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction and as well
as "new developments" in Romania's approach to the Black Sea
Region. Tinca was joined by MFA Policy Planning Director
Olivia Todorean and Harry Bucu, who will be heading up the
Training Center project. Bucu pointed out that Romania
dropped the "European" part of the title to focus on training
for Romanians, although the program would be open to all
European and Atlantic partners. (Note: We first reported on
this concept as presented by Tinca's predecessor in reftel.
End note.) Bucu said that Romania would launch the project
on a pilot basis in September, and would seek guidance from
those countries that already have experience in this area.
When Romania was considering a PRT in Afghanistan, Tinca
explained, it soon became clear that the non-military
ministries were not prepared for this type of deployment.
Bucu said the second stage of the initiative would be to host
a Post-Conflict Reconstruction Conference in January 2009;
Romania would also be looking for co-organizers from Allied
and Partner countries. Bucu said the final stage would be the
actual opening of the Training Center. It would not only
conduct training, but also raise public awareness of the
importance of post-conflict reconstruction operations,
research and study. The initiative would also promote more
internal coordination and interagency cooperation within the
GOR so that the training center would be truly
inter-disciplinary. "Romania wants to find its niche in this
area," Bucu explained, adding that an inter-agency working
group with MFA, MOD and Interior representatives had already
been formed. "We need to broaden out to the other
ministries," he added. The Center itself would have both a
Board of Trustees to oversee the training and study
activities, and an independent board of academic advisors to
ensure high academic standards and to help build networks
with other international training centers.


3. (SBU) On the broader front of Romania's regional Black
Sea policy, Tinca highlighted Romania's "soft security"
orientation. The GOR's immediate goals included hosting this
fall a forum for Black Sea regional civil society groups and
facilitating the development of a Black Sea Environmental
Partnership Program. Tinca was quick to point out that
Romania would play a limited role on the latter initiative,
seeking to focus NGO and civil society attention on common
environmental concerns in the region, with the hope that
donors like the World Bank would step in to provide support.
On the civil society component, Tinca stated that one
possible program would be for the MFA to work with civil
society groups to identify ways to support priorities gleaned
from the NATO Summit Declaration. Other possible projects for
2009 or later included the development of an
interdisciplinary Masters Degree program for Black Sea
universities to focus on renewable energy strategies, and
regional fora on migration and civil emergency planning, with
an emphasis on critical infrastructure risks.


4. (SBU) Finally, Tinca said that Romania was exploring
options for a follow-up to the Summit of the Black Sea Forum
for Dialogue and Partnership, including the possibility of
holding a "Gymnich-styled" informal ministerial-level meeting
that would operate on "well-known principles of variable
geometry so as not to duplicate existing institutions,
structures, or arrangements." (Note: this part of the
presentation clearly irritated the Turkish DCM who labeled
the Forum a "waste of time" that failed to meet the standards
for "inclusiveness, regional ownership, and transparency."
end note.) Tinca underscored that this concept was still in
the idea stage, and the briefing itself was part of the
consultation process.


5. (SBU) Comment: Romania has gotten the message about
focusing its attention more on soft security issues in the

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Black Sea region. Turkey, skeptical as always about
Romania's aspirations, cast a shadow over the briefing in
vocally challenging Bucharest's advocacy for another
senior-level Black Sea Forum. Still there are some
opportunities here for the U.S. to assist Romania in keeping
on task, including in supporting the post-conflict training
center initiative. Finally, the briefing made clear that
following a successful NATO summit, Bucharest is ready to
take another run at playing an active role in promoting Black
Sea regional cooperation. End comment.
TAUBMAN