FSC JUNE 11: RUSSIA PROMISES FOLLOW-UP TO MEDVEDEV

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000158 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC, SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA JCS FOR J5 OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) NSC FOR DOWLEY USUN FOR LEGAL, POL CENTCOM FOR CCJ5-C, POLAD UNVIE FOR AC GENEVA FOR CD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL OSCE KCFE RS XG SUBJECT: FSC JUNE 11: RUSSIA PROMISES FOLLOW-UP TO MEDVEDEV SECURITY SPEECH REF: STATE 056557 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Russia announced it would provide amplifying details to President Medvedev's call during a recent speech in Germany for a "legally binding instrument on European security." The Russian proposed chair's statement on enforcing the time lines for requesting Vienna Document inspections was endorsed by the working group. There was no comment on Russia proposals to define the "specified area" for Vienna Document inspections and to require annual prior notice of at least one "major military activity." Russia and several other delegations announced they could support the latest version of the German proposal to update the conventional arms transfers reporting categories to accord with the UN Register of Conventional Arms. The chair will reissue the paper as its draft decision. ¶2. (SBU) The Belarusian proposal for a one-off information exchange on end user certificates received mild support. The U.S. questioned the need for the exchange, noting that an earlier decision calls for submission of exemplar certificates to the OSCE website. France and Belgium will soon circulate a further revision of their proposal of an information exchange and Best Practice Guide on measures to prevent the illicit trafficking by air of small arms and light weapons. ¶3. (SBU) The chair's draft decision on publication of the Best Practices Guides on conventional ammunition will be considered in the Plenary on June 18. The Swedish-Dutch proposal for a decision endorsing the Best Practices Guides on the physical security and destruction of conventional ammunition received some comment and has been revised. Delegations will again meet informally to discuss the latest revisions to the proposed update to the Code of Conduct Questionnaire. End Summary. Medvedev Speech on European Security -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) announced the distribution of President Medvedev's recent speech in Germany calling for a "legally binding instrument on European security." (SEC.DEL/85/08) A pan-European pact, Ulyanov said, could bring clarity to principles controlling the use of force within the Euro-Atlantic community, including arms control and other important security issues. A Europe-wide summit meeting could start the process toward such a treaty, with all European states participating in their national capacities, not as members of alliances or blocs. Further details, Ulyanov said, will soon follow. Chair's Statement on Vienna Document Inspection Timelines -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Canada joined other delegations and endorsed the Russian proposal for a chair's statement calling for strict enforcement of the timelines for requesting inspection under the Vienna Document. The chair will issue the statement in the Plenary on June 18. (FSC.DEL/75/08/Rev.3) Russian Vienna Document Proposals -------------- USOSCE 00000158 002 OF 003 ¶6. (SBU) There was no discussion of the Russian proposals "to improve implementation of the Vienna Document" by defining the "specified area" for inspections (FSC.DEL/493/07/Rev.2) and by requiring at least one annual prior notification of a "major military activity" (FSC.DEL/495/07/Rev.3). The papers will remain on the working group agenda. CAT Category Update -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Germany (Schweizer) announced a revision of its proposal for updating the CAT reporting categories to accord with the UN Register on Conventional Arms. The latest revision reflects the concerns of delegations that more explanation was needed of the intent behind operative paragraphs 4 and 5, which request the provision of SALW transfer information to the UN. Schweizer said this was done by including more language from UN General Assembly Resolution 61/77 in the proposal. The proposal now has wide and unqualified support. It has been reissued as a chair's draft decision and moved to the Plenary at the earliest opportunity. (FSC.DD/7/08) End-User Certificates -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Germany and Denmark supported the Belarusian proposal for an information exchange and Best Practices Guide on end-user certificates. The U.S. (Silberberg) noted that, following an earlier decision FSC.DEC/5/04),pS had agreed to post sample certificates on the OSCE website; in light of this, was a one-off information exchange necessary? The U.S. also questioned the need for a Conflict Prevention Center overview as the proposal asked for sample formats and an analysis of these would likely require comparison of national practices. Perhaps a better approach would be to call for the creation of a dedicated webpage and task pS to provide information for the page. Belarus (Pavlov) said it would consider the U.S. comments. (FSC.DEL/108/08) Illicit Air Trafficking -------------- ¶9. (SBU) France (Simonet) said a revision of the proposal for an information exchange and Best Practices Guide for measures to prevent the illicit trafficking of SALW by air will be distributed before the next working group meeting on June 18. The present version of the proposal had wide support, although Turkey, while supporting in principle, reported it was waiting for instructions. (FSC.DEL/62/08/Rev.1) SALW in Belarus -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Sweden (Nilsson),as FSC coordinator for SALW, reported on a donors' visit to Belarus in May to inspect the OSCE-UNDP capacity building project on SALW stockpile management and security (FSC.DEL/112/08). Nilsson noted phase 1 of the project will require more time and additional finances will be needed for all phases. Belarus (Pavlov) reported that it will increase its national contribution to the project, mostly in the form of in-kind donations of logistics and administrative support. Best Practices Guides USOSCE 00000158 003 OF 003 -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The chair's draft decision on publication of a handbook of Best Practices Guides (BPG) on conventional ammunition was endorsed by the working group and will move to the Plenary for approval on June 18. The U.S., per reftel guidance, joined consensus after the operative paragraph referring to the Biennial Meeting of States was deleted (FSC.DD/6/08/Rev.2). The chair subsequently revised the draft decision slightly in light of comments on the proposal to endorse two additional ammunition BPGs, described below (FSC.DD/6/08/Rev.3). ¶12. (SBU) The Swedish-Dutch proposal for endorsement of the BPGs on the physical security and destruction of stockpiles of conventional ammunition (FSC.DEL/111/08) received qualified support from Germany, which proposed several stylistic edits to reflect the companion draft decision, described above, on publication of the ammunition BPG handbook (FSC.DD/6/08/rev.2). A revised version, reflecting the German edits, has been issued as a chair's draft decision (FSC.DD/8/08). Code of Conduct -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Austria (Eischer),FSC coordinator for the Code of Conduct, announced another informal meeting on June 13 to consider revisions to the proposal to update the Code Questionnaire. An informal meeting on June 5 made changes to the text, which will provide the point of departure for the June 13 discussion (FSC.DEL/98/08/Rev.1). Next Meeting -------------- ¶14. (U) The next FSC meeting will be on June 18. FINLEY