RUSSIAN MFA UNDECIDED ON LEAD DEPARTMENT FOR

UNCLAS MOSCOW 003763 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT KCRM MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER RS SUBJECT: RUSSIAN MFA UNDECIDED ON LEAD DEPARTMENT FOR SOMALI PIRACY CONTACT GROUP MEETING REF: A. STATE 133199 ¶B. STATE 133750 ¶1. (SBU) In response to reftel requests, Post sent invitations for the January 13-14, 2009 inaugural meeting of the Contact Group on Somalia Piracy (CGSP) in New York and the January 13 pre-meeting of key countries to the Legal, International Organizations, and North Americas Departments of the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to our contacts in the International Organizations Department, the MFA has not yet decided which of its departments will have lead responsibility for the piracy issue. It is possible that the Department of New Threats and Challenges, which already has experience with special operations such as counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics issues, may be given the portfolio. Our contacts indicated that the MFA will let the U.S. know, most likely through the Russian UN mission in New York, as soon as a decision is made on who will lead the Russian delegation to the CGSP meeting. ¶2. (U) The Russian government is closed for a long official holiday January 1 - 9, 2009. RUBIN