Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MUNICH69
2008-02-14 09:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Munich
Cable title:  

A/S FRIED'S MEETING WITH MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT VORONIN

Tags:  MARR NATO PARM PREL GM MD 
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FM AMCONSUL MUNICH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4290
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHCH/AMEMBASSY CHISINAU PRIORITY 0035
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/COMSOCEUR VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRL/USDAO BERLIN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUNICH 000069 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PARM PREL GM MD
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED'S MEETING WITH MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT VORONIN

REF: MUNICH 52

MUNICH 00000069 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL ERIC G. NELSON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUNICH 000069

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2018
TAGS: MARR NATO PARM PREL GM MD
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED'S MEETING WITH MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT VORONIN

REF: MUNICH 52

MUNICH 00000069 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL ERIC G. NELSON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: In a bilateral meeting on the margins of
the Munich Security Conference on February 9, EUR A/S Daniel
Fried urged Vladimir Voronin, President of Moldova, not to
succumb to Russian pressure regarding international
guarantees for Moldova,s neutrality. Voronin should resist
Russia's attempts to distract Moldova from efforts to settle
the Transnistria conflict, or to tie recognition of
neutrality with a settlement unless it was on Moldova,s
terms. Voronin said he was willing to discuss neutrality
separately and was reluctant to frustrate Russia on the
package deal out of fear of getting nowhere on either issue.
Fried expressed appreciation for Moldova,s close
consultations with the USG on CFE and said the U.S. would
continue to respect the limits of their concessions. He
promised Department support for Senator Lugar,s efforts to
repeal the Jackson-Vanik restrictions on Moldova. End
Summary.


2. (U) President Vladimir Voronin and Deputy Prime Minister
and Foreign Minister Andrei Stratan, as well as Voronin
foreign policy advisor Marc Tkaciuk represented Moldova at
bilateral talks on the margins of the 44th Munich Security
Conference on February 9. EUR A/S Daniel Fried and EUR/DAS
David Kramer represented the USG. Notetaker was Kit Traub,
USOSCE Vienna.


3. (C) President Voronin reported improving social, cultural
and economic relations with Russia -- this was progress
compared to the "general freeze" on bilateral relations
following the 2003 Kozak memo. Voronin complained that the
problem now was Russia's insistence on an international
agreement "guaranteeing" Moldovan neutrality as a condition
for Moscow moving forward on resolving the Transnistria
conflict. He said this had been President Putin's focus
during Voronin's discussions in Moscow on February 4 (Yuri
Zubakov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council

also participated in those talks). Voronin pointed out that
neutrality was already established in the Moldovan
constitution, but said the Russians were worried that future
Moldovan governments could revoke that provision. Therefore,
they were seeking internationally guaranteed neutrality.


4. (C) Voronin said he would not agree to anything regarding
neutrality until the 5-plus-2 process was complete. He said
he had rejected Putin,s insistence on a neutrality text
unless it came as part of a package deal including settlement
of the TN conflict. He also said the Russians had not
offered any promise that they could deliver the
Transnistrians -- convincing Tiraspol would be up to
Chisinau. Voronin said Moldova would not accept an
international "guarantee" of neutrality, but Chisinau
authorities were reviewing whether an international
"recognition" of neutrality might be a way of satisfying the
Russians, while preserving Moldova's sovereignty and room for
future maneuver. If the U.S. supported Moldova, they would
be tougher on this point with Russia. Voronin also asked for
USG assistance in considering all the possible implications
for Moldova of "recognition" of neutrality.


5. (C) A/S Fried said this looked like a bad deal: it was
clear what the Russians got out of it, but not clear how it
would benefit Moldova. Russia was trying to trade settlement
of Transnistria for a Russian veto over Moldovan foreign
policy. Moldova was sovereign, and its future should be
Moldova's alone to decide. The USG supported Moldova's
territorial integrity and reunification without any
conditions. Skeptical of Putin,s motives so late in his
presidency, DAS Kramer urged Voronin to consider that
Putin,s interest in the Moldovan neutrality issue looked
like an effort to distract from settlement of the TN
conflict.


6. (C) A/S Fried noted that Moldova,s neutrality is already
established under its constitution and strongly advised
Voronin to resist both Russian efforts to assert rights as
"guarantor" of neutrality and Russian attempts to make
resolution of the TN conflict contingent on giving them that

MUNICH 00000069 002.2 OF 002


role. If it came to a package deal and Moldova asked the USG
to take a formal role in recognizing the fact of Moldova,s
constitutional provision for neutrality, then the USG could
consider doing so, A/S Fried said, but we would want to work
closely with the Moldovans on the specifics to ensure there
were no pitfalls. A/S Fried agreed to have USG experts
review the text that Moldova is proposing.


7. (C) A/S Fried reiterated support for Moldova,s
territorial integrity and rejected seeing Kosovo,s
independence as a precedent for Transnistria or any other
conflict. He said the U.S. would object loudly should there
be moves toward declaring TN independence from the TN
leadership or Russian consideration of recognizing such a
declaration. Fried reiterated support for the repeal of the
Jackson-Vanik restrictions on Moldova and noted the
Department of State supported Senator Lugar,s efforts in
this matter. He suggested to Voronin that it would be good
for him to push on this personally and for his Embassy in
Washington to weigh in with the Congress.


8. (C) Voronin thanked A/S Fried for the firm U.S. support
of Moldova, including on Euro-Atlantic integration, and said
he was also satisfied with the EU,s support. He appreciated
NATO's engagement with Moldova, especially by Deputy
Assistant Secretary General Bob Simmons in helping to revise
their National Security Estimate. He noted the ongoing
success of the EU's border assistance mission, EUBAM, cited
Ukraine's help, and said that most TN businesses had now
registered with Chisinau. Transnistrian banks remain the
major exception.


9. (C) A/S Fried thanked Voronin for Moldova,s consistent
support in CFE negotiations. Fried acknowledged that the
U.S. knows Moldova,s position and will hold to it in
upcoming CFE discussions with the Russians.


10. (U) DAS Kramer cleared this cable, which was coordinated
with Embassy Berlin.


11. (U) For more information on the 44th Conference and past
conferences, visit:"http://www.securityconference.de".


12. (U) Previous reporting from Munich is available on our
SIPRNET website at www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/munich/.
NELSON