FSC NOVEMBER 12: RUSSIA WANTS TO KEEP UNSCR 1540

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 USOSCE 000274

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC,
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA, INR/B, ISN/CPI
JCS FOR J-5
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI)
NSC FOR HAYES
USUN FOR LEGAL, POL
EUCOM FOR J-5
CENTCOM FOR J-5
UNVIE FOR AC
GENEVA FOR CD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PREL KCFE OSCE PINR RS XG
SUBJECT: FSC NOVEMBER 12: RUSSIA WANTS TO KEEP UNSCR 1540
IN FSC

REF: A. OCTOBER 31 WRIGHT-SILBERBERG EMAIL

B. STATE 116705


1. (SBU) Summary: The Forum for Security Cooperation on
November 12 adopted decisions for an information exchange on
end-user certificates, endorsement of a guide to disposition
of melange (rocket fuel oxidizer),and the forwarding of a
draft Ministerial Council decision on small arms, light
weapons, and stockpiles of conventional ammunition (SALW/SCA)
to the Ministerial Council. The impasse continues over the
companion Ministerial draft decision on other FSC issues as
Georgia and Russia cannot agree how to describe the autumn
round Security Dialogue discussions of their conflict in
August. Estonia welcomed initial comments on the draft
agenda for the March 2009 cyber security workshop. Russia
opposes expanding the work of implementing UNSCR 1540 at the
OSCE to the Security Committee/Permanent Council, preferring
to keep it in the FSC and avoid "too many cooks." End
summary.

Defense Planning Deadline
--------------


2. (SBU) In the November 12 FSC working group, Sweden (Byren)
announced it supported the Russian proposal for a single
deadline for submission of defense planning information
(FSC.DEL/494/07/Rev.3/Corr.1) as it would "strengthen
implementation of the Vienna Document." Russia (Ulyanov)
said there was near consensus and called on delegations that
were not prepared to endorse the proposal to say so.
Azerbaijan reported it lacked final guidance. The U.S.
reminded that it opposed the proposal. Germany (Schweizer)
reported it would have difficulty in predicting by what date
its defense budget data would be available for submission,
although in principle it wants to support the proposal.

End-User Certificates
--------------


3. (SBU) The working group endorsed, and the plenary
subsequently adopted without comment, the draft decision for
an information exchange on end-user certificates
(FSC.DD.9/08/Rev.3).

Melange Overview
--------------

4. (SBU) The working group also endorsed, and the plenary
subsequently adopted without comment, the draft decision
(FSC.DD/13/08/Corr.1) welcoming the "overview" of disposal of
melange (rocket fuel oxidizer) (FSC.DEL/443/07/Rev.2).

Code of Conduct Questionnaire
--------------


5. (SBU) Belarus (Pavlov) proposed adding a reference to the
Helsinki Final Act in the preamble to the draft decision for
an update of the Code of Conduct Questionnaire
(FSC.DD/14/08). Switzerland supported Belarus. Germany
(Schweizer) asked whether Belarus could then support the
entire document. Pavlov said he still needed final
instructions but doubted Belarus would block consensus.
Latvia (Nilsons) recommended combining draft Questionnaire
sections I.3.1. and I.3.2., on the implementation of "other

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international commitments," as they appeared redundant.
Russia objected, insisting that the first section addressed
current commitments while the second concerned future ones.
Germany still lacks final instructions, although signals from
Berlin are "increasingly positive."

SALW MC.DD
--------------

6. (SBU) The working group and plenary endorsed the draft
Ministerial Council decision (MC.DD/7/08/Rev.3) welcoming
work done by the FSC in 2008 on SALW/SCA and requesting for
2009, inter alia, a review of the OSCE Document on SALW,
establishment of national legal frameworks for the control on
SALW brokering, and national efforts to adopt an
international tracing instrument for SALW.


7. (SBU) The working group also endorsed a draft decision
that was later adopted by the plenary transmitting the SALW
draft decision to the Ministerial Council for its approval in
December (FSC.DD/15/08). USDEL Silberberg discussed with the
Secretariat and CiO its intention to make an interpretive
statement if the SALW is adopted at the Ministerial. The
Secretariat recommended informing the chair at the
Ministerial plenary of U.S. intentions well in advance of
consideration of the draft decision.

FSC Issues MC.DD
--------------


8. (SBU) During negotiation of the draft Ministerial Council
decision on FSC issues (MC.DD/6/08/Rev.3),Russia agreed ad
ref to the language in OP1 tic 2 describing the Security
Dialogue on the Georgia-Russia war as the "dialogue . . .
addressing the armed conflict in August 2008." Georgia has
requested further instructions but for the time being could
not agree to this language. Russia also now supports the
German compromise version of OP3 on progress reports ("These
reports should include . . . and other areas, as
appropriate."). The chair has issued a revised version
(MC.DD/6/08/Rev.4) with only the German OP3 and encouraged
Russia and Georgia to resolve their differences over OP1.

FSC Chair's Letter
--------------


9. (SBU) There was no discussion of the FSC Chair's Letter
(MC.GAL/7/08). The chair announced his intent to forward the
letter to the Ministerial Council by November 26.

Cyber Security
--------------

10. (SBU) Estonia (Tiigimae) solicited comments on the draft
agenda and modalities for the March 2009 cyber security
workshop (FSC.DEL/177/08). Switzerland recommended a closing
session to consider possible follow-up actions by "OSCE
bodies." Italy said a distinction needed to be made between
terrorist use of the Internet to disseminate propaganda and
terrorist attacks on or through the Internet. USDEL had
earlier provided comments (ref) from Washington to Estonia,
which welcomed these and other comments and will soon convene
a "task force" of interested delegations and Secretariat
members to refine the plans for the work shop.


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UNSCR 1540
--------------


11. (SBU) Luxembourg (Pilot) recalled in the working group
that the U.S. had intervened in the November 10 Security
Committee (Permanent Council) meeting to recommend broadening
the scope of OSCE efforts to implement UNSCR 1540, which
requires all states to prevent the spread of WMD to non-state
actors, to include the Borders and Actions against Terrorism
Units. Pilot asked the chair what would be the future role
of the FSC in implementing 1540? The chair (Kangaste) said
he was aware of the U.S. comments in the Security Committee
and the CiO was coordinating efforts within the OSCE to
implement 1540.


12. (SBU) The U.S. (Silberberg) affirmed that the scale of
1540 work at the OSCE should be broad and encouraged the
chair and delegations to discuss the future of 1540
implementation at the OSCE with the UN 1540 committee chair,
Ambassador Jorge Urbina, when he visits the FSC on December

10.


13. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) said it found the U.S. remarks in
the Security Committee interesting but it would need some
time to formulate a response. Its initial thought was to
keep 1540 work in the FSC ad "avoid too many cooks." Ulyanov
also warned that the FSC chair (Kangaste) should not be
coordinating with the Security Committee, as the Forum and
the committee were not "equals": the FSC's equal is the
Permanent Council. If Kangaste needs to coordinate with the
Security Committee, he should be doing so as a working group
chair.

Pavlov Departs
--------------


14. (SBU) Vasily Pavlov, the Belarusian representative in the
FSC, Joint Consultative Group (CFE),and Open Skies
Consultative Commission for the last four years plus has been
reassigned to Minsk where he will work on OSCE issues at the
MFA. In his farewell remarks, he encouraged the FSC to
resume normative work including "updating and improving" the
base documents of the OSCE political-military acquis,
including the Vienna Document and OSCE Document on SALW.
Pavlov's replacement is Dmitry Krayushkin.

Russian Visas for VD99 Inspections
--------------


15. (SBU) Russia announced in an F41 notification (ref B)
that personnel on Vienna Document inspections of Russia who
require visas will receive visas at the entry points (POEs)
of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad and the Moscow airports
(Vnukovo, Domodedevo, and Sheremetyevo). Use of other entry
points will require visas issued through Russian consular
offices on the territory of the pS notifying intention to
inspect. UK (Gare),Canadian (Gosal) and U.S.
representatives (Hnatczuk) discussed the visa requirements on
the margins of the FSC and agreed to raise the matter with
their capitals.

Next Meeting
--------------

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16. (U) The next meeting of the FSC will be November 19.
FINLEY