USNATO REQUESTS DOS LEGAL SUPPORT ON RUSSIAN

UNCLAS USNATO 000028

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR RPM - PPETERSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NATO PREL
SUBJECT: USNATO REQUESTS DOS LEGAL SUPPORT ON RUSSIAN
UNDERSTANDINGS OF NATO PFP SOFA


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The NATO Legal Office has proposed a
meeting of legal advisors from all Allies, to be held in
Brussels, to discuss Russia's understandings regarding the
PfP SOFA. Post requests Washington's support, to include the
participation of appropriate DOS legal experts. This is an
action request, please see Paragraph 3. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Russia deposited its ratification of the PfP SOFA on
September 14, 2007. There are a number of "understandings"
from Russia contained in the ratification documents that need
to be reviewed by the NATO Legal Office and Allies' legal
authorities. Therefore, the NATO Legal Office has proposed
to hold a legal experts' meeting in Brussels to perform this
review of the Russian understandings.


3. (SBU) Post understands that NATO has one year from the
time Russia deposited its ratification documents to respond
to the Russian understandings. (Post is waiting for the NATO
Legal Office to confirm this.) There is a brief window in
February, (Feb. 21-28),to hold the legal experts' meeting
prior to the 2008 NATO Summit in April, but more likely, the
meeting would be scheduled for after the Summit. Action
requested: Post requests L to send a legal expert to the
meeting and to recommend its preferred dates for travel to
Brussels.


4. (SBU) In addition to the Russian understandings, the NATO
Legal Office has recommended consultations on the same
date(s) for other unresolved issues, to include the
Mediterranean Dialogue SOFA, the NATO-Qatar Cooperation
Agreement, and the NATO-Kuwait Transit Agreement. Post
strongly recommends that the participating Department legal
expert be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity to
also discuss these long-standing matters in order to find a
way forward.


NULAND