FSC DECEMBER 17: CYBER SECURITY AND AIAM AGENDAS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000317

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC,
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA
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 RS XG
SUBJECT: FSC DECEMBER 17: CYBER SECURITY AND AIAM AGENDAS
ADOPTED

REF: A. STATE 131459

B. STATE 131458


1. (SBU) Summary: The December 17 Forum for Security
Cooperation adopted the agendas for the March 17-18, 2009
cyber security workshop and the March 3-4, 2009 Annual
Implementation Assessment Meeting. Russia complained that
South Ossetia still needed natural gas and appealed for
international efforts to restore pipe line deliveries.
Georgia said it was completing pipeline repairs in territory
it controlled. Delegations are still waiting for further
instructions on the draft Code of Conduct questionnaire
update. End summary.

Natural Gas for South Ossetia
--------------


2. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) again warned that South Ossetia
urgently needed natural gas with winter approaching. Citing
an OSCE Mission to Georgia spot report (SEC.FR/769/08),
Ulyanov welcomed news that pipeline repairs on the "Georgian
side" were in progress. Thanking "European" delegations, who
"were not indifferent to the humanitarian crisis," Ulyanov
urged a pragmatic response not linked to political issues.
He noted the matter was also under discussion at the Geneva
talks.


3. (SBU) Georgia (Giorgadze) replied it would not predict
when the pipeline would be operable as its engineers could
not access "the other side" in South Ossetia. Giorgadze
thanked the U.S. and Canada for the draft decision in the
Permanent Council that would dispatch OSCE inspectors to
South Ossetia to inspect the pipeline, adding that Russia was
blocking the decision. Georgia welcomed international
assistance to restore the pipeline.


4. (SBU) Ulyanov countered that Russia actually had proposed
amendments, still under consideration. He offered to report
favorably to Moscow on any Georgian request for assistance in
restoring gas deliveries. Russia, he reported, has spent
over ten billion rubles in reconstructing infrastructure in
South Ossetia damaged during the August war.

AIAM and Cyber Security Agendas
--------------

5. (SBU) The agendas for the 2009 Annual Implementation
Assessment Meeting, to be held March 3-4, and the March
17-18, 2009 cyber security workshop, were adopted without
discussion, the U.S. joining consensus per guidance (ref A).

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


6. (SBU) Belarus rejected as unnecessary the language from
the Helsinki Final Act proposed by Denmark and Sweden
(FSC.DEL/188/08) as a supplement to its own edit
(FSC.DEL/186/08) of preamble para 3 in the draft decision on
an update of the Code of Conduct questionnaire
(FSC.DD/14/08). Denmark reserved the right to make further
comment. Other delegations are still waiting for further
instructions.

U.S. Defense Planning Submission

USOSCE 00000317 002 OF 002


--------------


7. (SBU) The U.S. Vienna Document 1999 defense planning
submission for 2008 was distributed (FSC.EMI/460/08) per
guidance (ref B).

Melange
--------------


8. (SBU) The "Group of Friends of Melange" met informally on
December 16. The OSCE Secretariat reported tenders were
invited on the OSCE melange project in Ukraine on 15
December. The suspense for bid submission is 16 March, with
a visit to the top two priority sites by interested firms
planned in mid-February. The project would be the largest
yet attempted by the OSCE, involving up to 16,000 tons of
melange. The first phase of the project envisions the
elimination of 3,000 tons of melange at a budget of 3.1
million euros. The melange project in Montenegro was
completed in late November, with the last of the toxic
chemicals destroyed at the SABAK plant in Sweden. Melange
and related materials in Albania are ready for shipment, but
no transportation solution has been found to date.

Finnish Valedictory
--------------


9. (SBU) Finland (Turunen and Kangaste) welcomed France as
the incoming chair of the FSC. Delegations, including Russia
and the U.S., praised Finland for its chairmanship, noting
the additional demands of serving as CiO, including
preparation for the Ministerial Conference. France (Lebedel)
will present its work plan in January 2009 after consulting
with the other FSC Troika members, Finland and Georgia, and
the new CiO, Greece.

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


10. (U) The next meeting on January 21 will be the first of
the 2009 winter session.
FINLEY