ROMANIA: DOMESTIC TERRORISM DESIGNATIONS DIFFICULT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUCHAREST 000771 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/ERA BROCKWELL AND EUR/CE ASCHEIBE USEU BRUSSELS FOR LSNYDER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2018 TAGS: EFIN ETTC PTER PREL PGOV KTFN RO SUBJECT: ROMANIA: DOMESTIC TERRORISM DESIGNATIONS DIFFICULT REF: STATE 101037 Classified By: DCM Jeri Guthrie-Corn for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) EconOff met on September 23rd with Elena Paris, Unit Chief in the Office for the Implementation of International Sanctions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),to deliver reftel demarche regarding a U.S. Domestic Designation under E.O. 13438. Paris explained that the Government of Romania (GOR) is broadly supportive of U.S. efforts to target money laundering and to implement international financial sanctions against known or suspected terrorists and criminal figures. Her office is happy to receive information regarding U.S. domestic designations, and this information is passed directly to the Romanian Security Services. ¶2. (C) However, Paris explained that domestic designations, outside of the UN or EU framework, are particularly difficult under Romanian law. A Romanian designation requires the Council of Ministers, consisting of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, formally to adopt a separate government ordinance in every instance. Paris informed EconOff that such an extraordinary decision would not be taken absent a specific, high-level request from the USG. Therefore, Romania cannot easily act on regular U.S. requests that Romania also designate the individuals or groups in question, even though such requests are standard language in routine demarches such as reftel. Paris was quick to add, though, that the Romanian Intelligence Services and the Financial Intelligence Service do investigate and flag transactions connected to individuals whom the U.S. has designated domestically. ¶3. (C) Accordingly, Paris said that no designation would occur in response to reftel, but that she would pass along a request for any additional information to her colleagues in the intelligence services. Paris promised to notify the Embassy in any instance where the GOR has useful information in response to a USG request but cannot pass the information through normal diplomatic channels due to its sensitive nature. In such instances, post can request the information through other channels directly from GOR intelligence agencies. TAUBMAN