3-PLUS-2 MEETING GIVES IMPULSE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CHISINAU 000786

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2018
TAGS: PGOV PBTS ECON OSCE MD
SUBJECT: 3-PLUS-2 MEETING GIVES IMPULSE TO
CONFIDENCE BUILDING BUT STATUS TALKS REMAIN
STALLED

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Rudolf V. Perina
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The July 21-23 meeting of
observers and mediators to the 5-plus-2 process
(known as the 3-plus-2) was successful in giving
greater impulse to the working groups. The US,
EU, OSCE, and to a lesser extent Ukraine reps
repeatedly stressed the need for starting work on
the political issues in parallel with progress in
confidence-building measures, and spoke in favor
of the Moldovan package of documents as a good
starting point for such talks. The Russian
negotiator, Nesterushkin talked around the issue,
but did not either support or reject the package.
No concrete decisions were taken on how to get
the document onto the table and start formal 5+2
negotiations on status.


2. (C) On next steps, the OSCE proposed holding a
seminar to begin discussions of the status issue
in a non-binding format, which HOM Remler
suggested could help encourage Transnistrian
participation. The working groups will continue
to meet with greater attention for the OSCE
mission and 3+2 to encourage progress. There was
discussion of following up with letters to
Presidents Voronin and Smirnov urging progress on
two areas: (1) pushing for removal of a certain
number of monitoring posts and (2) urging
reopening of the Gura Bicului Bridge (repaired by
EU at a cost of Euro 2 Million and necessary for
MCC road work). CIO Talvite proposed the idea of
holding a 3-plus-2 in early September in
preparation for a 5-plus-2 in late September.
End Summary.


3. (C) On July 21 the 3+2 had an opening lunch
meeting of the principals of the 3+2 and an
evening reception that which included officials
from Moldova and Transnistria. The 3-plus-2
delegations met on July 22 with President Voronin
in Chisinau, with Transnistrian Vice-President
Koroliev in Tiraspol (the meeting was scheduled
for the 3+2 to meet with TN leader Smirnov who
stated illness as the reason for not meeting),
and held a joint session in Tiraspol with heads
of the working groups from both sides. On July
23 delegations from the 5-plus-2 held a four-hour
off-shore working meeting aboard a boat in the
Dniester. The heads of delegations were: Heike
Talvite (OSCE CIO),Philip Remler (OSCE Mission
to Moldova),DAS David Merkel (USG),Kalman
Miszei (EU),Valerii Nesterushkin (Russia),
Deputy Foreign Minister Gorin (Ukraine),Minister
for Reintegration Sova (Moldova),and Acting
Foreign Minister Yastrebchak (Transnistria).

President Voronin Says Conditions Favor
Settlement
-------------- --------------
-


4. (C) President Voronin noted favorable
conditions for solving the conflict and stressed
his desire to see a resolution in time to carry
out the 2009 elections with Transnistria
included. If so, Transnistria would have
representatives in the central government.
Voronin expressed Moldova's readiness for
negotiations on the status package, and expressed
his commitment to peaceful reunification with
Moldova's citizens on the other bank, pledging no
use of force. Voronin said that Moldova would
draft an assessment of the costs of
reintegration, and hoped to attract international
donor funds to assist.


5. (C) The Moldovan president posed three
questions for group discussion -- (1) In whose
name would the political package be put on the
table?; (2) When would formal 5-plus-2 talks be
resumed?; and (3) What steps should Moldova take
to encourage active Transnistrian participation?
The EU, USG, Ukraine and OSCE all openly
supported the package as a good starting point
for the 5-plus-2 settlement negotiations, while
Russian negotiator Nesterushkin made vague

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statements that avoided any direct commentary on
the package.


6. (C) Remler proposed holding a seminar that
would allow a more academic discussion of status
concepts while not representing actual
negotiations on status. He suggested that
Transnistria might be more open to discussions of
status options in a seminar, and thus this format
could open the door to political talks.

Smirnov Unavailable, Vice President Koroliev
Meets Group
-------------- --------------
--------------


7. (C) Though Smirnov had initially agreed to
meet with the 3-plus-2 group and confirmed the
scheduled time, the Transnistrian side later
informed that their "president" was not available
as he was recuperating, though there were some
allegations Smirnov was actually in town and
other suggestions he was on vacation in the
Crimea. The 3+2 instead met with "Vice President"
Koroliev. Despite Koroliev's reputation as a
hard-liner, he remained calm and focused during
the meeting, and did not deliver Smirnov's usual
ideological monologue.


8. (C) Koroliev questioned the need for
negotiating new documents when negotiations had
already gone on for years, with dozens of
agreements already signed but not being
implemented. Koroliev suggested making a study
of who was responsible for the previous collapse
of talks. He complained about Moldova's economic
blockade on Transnistria, and the ban on TN
leadership traveling to EU countries. Koroliev
advocated solving practical problems such as
railway issues, and expressed the belief that
confidence-building measures could build the
trust needed for success at the negotiating
table.


9. (C) Observers and mediators offered their
positions. Kalman Miszei noted that the
international 3-plus-2 component would help
ensure that any new agreement reached would not
be sidelined. He suggested that old agreements
could still be of use to the working groups as a
basis for moving forward. He urged Koroliev to
trust international cooperation in the 5-plus-2
format and underlined that the EU was ready to
help finance projects to move the process
forward. Miszei said that allowing free movement
of people and goods would show good faith, and
urged the linkage between confidence-building
measures and political talks.


10. (C) DAS Merkel said that rather than focus on
the past and who was to blame, it was important
to focus constructively on the future. He asked
Koroliev to accept the group's commitment to work
with the Transnistrian side in good faith, and
encouraged the start of negotiations on a
settlement. Combining confidence-building
measures and negotiations was the most effective
approach.

5-plus-2 Focus on Confidence-Building Measure
--------------


11. (C) An OSCE non-paper pointing out five
particular confidence-building measures that
needed progress formed the basis for the members
of the 5-plus-2 discussions on July 23. These
were discussed in turn, and in each case the
conclusion was that the working groups need to
elaborate these issues further. Plans were
discussed for writing letters to President
Voronin and Mr. Smirnov on removal of a certain
number of posts from the security zone and on
reopening roads and bridges. The five issues
were:

-- (1) Removal of unauthorized posts from the
Security Zone
-- (2) Re-opening of roads and bridges and

CHISINAU 00000786 003 OF 003


elaboration of mechanisms to prevent seizures of
or hindrances to the movement of
vehicles/cargoes.
-- (3) Economic cooperation between Right Bank
and Left Bank companies
-- (4) Education
-- (5) Individual measures from the CSBM Package
elaborated in 2005 by experts from the OSCE,
Russian Federation and Ukraine.


12. (C) DAS Merkel suggested examining whether
the posts were necessary and whether their
removal would contribute to greater freedom of
movement. The GOM, OSCE, USG and EU supported
the idea of a letter calling for reduction of
posts, but the Russian representative interjected
that the 5+2 was to discuss political issues and
lacking that opportunity it was discussing issues
outside its direct mandate.


13. (C) On the issue of bridges, Yastrebchak
suggested this was part of a larger question of
opening a transportation corridor. DAS Merkel
reminded the group of the EU's 2 million Euro
investment in rebuilding the Gura Bicului Bridge,
which now stood closed -- opening the bridge was
critical for the MCC to proceed with its roads
investment. The Ukrainian rep noted that during
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Ohryzko's recent
meeting with Smirnov, the Transnistrian leader
had agreed to open the bridge, and based upon
that understanding Ukraine offered assistance.
Sova noted that what was needed was a political
decision, and urged the group to appeal to
President Voronin and Mr. Smirnov in writing to
build confidence by opening the bridge.


14. (C) Of the eight working groups initially
identified, thus far only three have actually
met. Sova suggested introducing new groups to
more actively correspond to the technical issues
needing discussion. One additional group
suggested was an economic group for facilitating
trade. While the working groups need political
instructions from above, Sova suggested that the
sides' political representatives should not be
included in technical discussions. Sova said
that the Ministry of Reintegration would not
attend the working groups and Yastrebchak agreed
that likewise, the Transnistrian MFA would not
attend.


Comment
--------------


15. (C) The session was constructive as a step in
the right direction that showed indisputable
momentum for moving forward to another meeting.
Everyone agreed on the positive contribution that
can be made by confidence-building measures, but
the real challenge remains how to get the issue
of political status onto the table. The OSCE's
idea of holding a seminar could be a positive way
to allow the Transnistrians to talk about
elements of an autonomy package in a non-binding,
non-threatening format.


16. DAS Merkel has cleared on this cable.

PERINA