NO PUTIN-VORONIN DEAL ON TRANSNISTRIA, SAYS GOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000882

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018
TAGS: PREL PINR PBTS OSCE MD RS
SUBJECT: NO PUTIN-VORONIN DEAL ON TRANSNISTRIA, SAYS GOR

REF: MOSCOW 805

Classified By: Political M/C Alice G. Wells. Reasons 1.4 (B/D).


1. (C) Both MFA Transnistria negotiator Valeriy Nesterushkin
and Second CIS Department Director Viktor Sorokin denied an
impending Putin - Voronin deal to resolving the Transnistria
conflict (reftel). On March 27, Nesterushkin told us that
there was no change in the GOR position: without the two
partners in conflict negotiating directly, there would be no
resolution. Nesterushkin, lamenting the "missed opportunity"
for a 5 plus 2 meeting during the OSCE Madrid Ministerial in
November last year, argued that the negotiation process would
work not through intimidation and pressure but through
engagement. He informed us that Smirnov had not replied to a
possible 5 plus 2 meeting in Odessa in April 14-16.


2. (C) Per Nesterushkin, the change in the negotiation
teams, including DAS Kramer's departure, Ukraine's
Veselovskiy's move to Brussels, the cabinet shuffle in
Moldova, and Transnistria's April 2 confidence vote on "FM"
Litskai, could further complicate the situation and delay the
launch of a 5 plus 2 meeting. Nesterushkin saw only one
option between Voronin, who wants to impose Moldova's
constitution on Transnistria, and Smirnov, who wants
independence -- a form of federation in order to seek a model
of co-existence. He advised against an "erroneous" idea that
once agreed with Putin, all deals were good for Smirnov.


3. (C) Sorokin echoed Nesterushkin, saying that there was no
new development on the Transnistrian front and predicted that
more serious moves would happen only after the early May
presidential inauguration.
BURNS