CORRECTED COPY - OSCE 2008 HEADS OF VERIFICATION

1. (SBU) (This corrected version of reftel contains revised
numerical values in para 9.) Summary: At the March 3 meeting
of Heads of Verification (HOV), discussion of implementation
matters extended into the policy arena, as had been
anticipated after the 2007 HOV meeting, when the German
verification head called for Vienna Document 1999 (VD99)
inspection coordination in Vienna. Much of the discussion in
the HOV anticipated the agenda of the Annual Implementation
Assessment Meeting (AIAM), held March 4-5. Subjects examined
included a German proposal to address the annual VD99
inspection "quota race," a Schengen visa for non-Schengen
inspecting States, a best practices guide for conducting air
base and military facilities visits and new equipment
demonstrations, and the role of OSCE "assistants" in the
Article IV (Dayton Peace Accords) verification regime. End
summary.

Germany Divided Again?


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2. (SBU) The German head of verification, Brigadier General
Winfried Mertens, while urging consideration of Germany's
proposal to reorganize the VD99 inspection calendar to avoid
the annual "quota race" (FSC.DEL/51/08), also criticized
coordination of VD99 verification events at NATO. Recalling
his intervention at the 2007 HOV meeting, he urged more
effective use and harmonization of quotas through
consultations in Vienna. Mertens said participating States
(pS) should be able to coordinate in Vienna so that each
receives its "fair share" of quotas within a two- or
three-year period. This would be preferable to "coordination
in smaller groups elsewhere . . . where everybody is not
there and are left out of the process." (Comment: It is not
clear that Mertens' recommendation reflects a coordinated
position within the German government. End comment.)



3. (SBU) In response to Germany, Russia (Zabello) noted that
inspection quotas of only 21 participating States had been
exhausted last year and that quotas for only four
pS--Georgia, Russia, UK, and the U.S.--were exhausted in the
first two months of the calendar year. (Note: Later, during
an intervention at the AIAM, Russia mentioned the same
statistics but made clear that they were in reference to VD99
evaluation quotas. End note). Only 54 of a potential 104
(59/114?) inspections were conducted.

Schengen Visas for Non-Schengen Inspectors


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4. (SBU) Finland suggested a common visa be issued to
non-Schengen inspecting pS for inspections conducted in
Schengen countries. The first Schengen pS entered would
issue Schengen visas to the inspectors for the entire period.
Several pS supported this suggestion.

Best Practice Guide for Demonstrations and Visits


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5. (SBU) Several countries supported a best practices guide
to standardize the conduct of demonstrations and visits to
air bases and military facilities.


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Russia Makes New Proposals


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6. (SBU) Russia provided three proposals in writing
(FSC.AIAM/9/09): (1) requests for inspections or evaluations
that are submitted too early would be considered invalid; (2)
a five-year (vice the current one-year) period after entry
into service for conducting demonstrations on new equipment;
and (3) the development of common methodologies for
demonstrations and visits to air bases and military
facilities. There was little discussion of the Russian
proposals.



7. (SBU) Russia also said it would be willing to receive
auxiliary personnel to increase the size of the
inspection/evaluation team if this were supported by an FSC
decision making it compulsory for all receiving States to
accept them.

Switzerland Rescinds Some Voluntary Measures


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8. (SBU) Switzerland noted that it had since 2004 voluntarily
notified the temporary activation of its militia units and
offered an additional quota, but there has been little
interest from other pS. Citing the lack of interest and
administrative costs, Switzerland announced that it will no
longer provide the notifications or offer the additional
quota.

Article IV (Dayton Accords) Briefing


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9. (SBU) Brigadier General Costanzo Periotto (Italy), the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office's Personal Representative for Article
IV (Dayton Peace Accords), briefed the role of the OSCE
"assistant" in Article IV inspections. Periotto forecasts 72
assistants drawn from OSCE pS will be needed in 2008, down
from a high of 160 in 1997, the reduction explained by the
decreasing number of inspection quotas available under
Article IV. (Note: On the margins of the meeting, Periotto
informed that the U.S. would be offered positions on nine of
the 18 inspections. End note.) Periotto stressed the
importance of technical training and expertise for the
assistants.

HOV Complain of Shorter Leashes


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10. (SBU) The heads of verification were more restrained this
year, according to some because an agenda published in
advance that allowed guidance from capitals and the presence
of policy personnel sitting behind them. (Note: Last year's
HOV meeting was held concurrently with other AIAM sessions,
allowing the HOV to escape much supervision. End note.) The
German verification head, Mertens, later complained to USDel
that the agenda was too broad and that the guidance received
from capitals resulted in less flexibility in the positions
of the HOV, although Mertens appeared to be unrestrained in
his own comments (see para 2 above).



11. (SBU) The end result was a call by some delegations for a
longer, more informal HOV meeting next year. In addition to
calls for a longer meeting, several HOV also proposed holding

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several sessions throughout the year, with at least one of
them breaking up into small working groups tasked with a
specific issue to allow in-depth discussions and
recommendations that might result in deliverables.
SCOTT