UNCLAS MOSCOW 003607

DEPT FOR OES/ENV TIFFANY PRATHER

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD SENV RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA RESPONSE ON LRTAP PROTOCOL AMENDMENT ISSUES

REF: STATE 123960

THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) Post delivered reftel talking points to Igor Maydanov,
Director of the Office of International Cooperation at the Ministry
of Natural Resources and Ecology. On December 11, in a written
response from the same office, Acting Director Anatoliy Totskiy
wrote that Russia is conducting an interagency review of the
proposed amendments to protocols of the Convention on Long-Range
Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) and has not yet agreed on an
official position.


2. (SBU) Totskiy noted that the Government of Russia must consider
the possible financial and economic ramifications of its vote, as
various Russian entities with differing levels of financial
resources would be responsible for Russia's implementation of the
protocols. He warned that "any attempt to make the requirements
broader or stricter will create additional difficulties in
ratification."

BEYRLE