RUSSIAN VIEWS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC ON MISSILE

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000226 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV NATO EZ RU SUBJECT: RUSSIAN VIEWS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC ON MISSILE DEFENSE, KOSOVO, AND US-RUSSIA RELATIONS REF: PRAGUE 0208 1.(SBU) Summary: On March 27, the Embassy's Political Military Officer met with Denis Grischenko, Russian Political Counselor, and Yevgenia Litvin, an attache in the Russian Embassy's external political unit. Grischenko highlighted the Russian Government's desire to work together with the U.S. However, he felt the US was wrong to think that the Czech Parliament would pass the Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement (BMDA) and the Supplemental Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). He said the Czech Government's inability to recognize Kosovo showed the fragility of Prime Minister Topolanek's government. End Summary. US-Russia Relations 2.(SBU) Grischenko began the meeting by highlighting how the USG and the Russian Government have recently worked together in the Czech Republic on non-proliferation (e.g., the Global Threat Reduction Initiative, the DOE-funded repatriation to Russia of fuel from Soviet-era nuclear research facilities.) He expressed the hope that the meeting between President Bush and President Putin in Sochi would signal a new basis for our relations and allow our two Embassies to work again on initiatives where our interests coincide. He cited Afghanistan and nuclear non-proliferation as the two most likely areas of cooperation to come out of Sochi. Missile Defense 3.(SBU) The majority of the conversation centered on our progress on the BMDA and the SOFA agreements. Grischenko was very interested in how quickly we expected the agreements to be completed. He doubted the Czechs could finish both agreements in the next couple of months. He said he hoped the US understood why Russia wanted to monitor the radar facility. He emphasized Russia's concerns about possible future expansion of the missile defense system beyond the ten interceptors we plan to put in Poland. 4.(SBU) In regards to ratification, Grischenko kept emphasizing the overwhelming public opposition to the radar. He said he believed it would be political suicide for politicians to support the radar agreements. Therefore, he said he feels confident "telling Moscow" that they should not worry too much about the agreements. (Note: The Czech Government has stated in the press and privately that Russia is actively funding Czech anti-radar groups, utilizing commercial contacts to pressure Czech businesses to oppose the radar, and possibly bribing members of parliament. End Note) Kosovo 5.(SBU) On Kosovo, Grischenko strongly argued his government's belief that Kosovo's independence violates international law. He cited a study by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that found 200 similar cases to Kosovo, including the Dakota Indian Tribe in the United States. He said that the Czech Government's inability to recognize Kosovo was the beginning of the end of Topolanek's government. In his view, if the Czechs could not even get a governmental quorum to recognize Kosovo, they will find it impossible tackle pension reform or gain parliamentary ratification for the MD agreements. (Comment: As discussed in reftel, the Embassy continues to believe that the Topolanek government can win approval for the MD agreements, although this will be an uphill battle. End Comment.) Graber