1540: RUSSIANS SHOW NO FLEXIBILITY ON RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000303 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2018 TAGS: PREL AORC KPAO PTER UNSC KNNP SUBJECT: 1540: RUSSIANS SHOW NO FLEXIBILITY ON RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 34975 ¶B. USUN/IO EMAILS (WILCOX/JOHNSON)--03/25/08 ¶C. USUN 257 ¶D. MOSCOW 869 ¶E. STATE 30934 ¶F. STATE 34968 ¶G. STATE 8246 ¶1. (C) Amb. Wolff raised U.S. objectives (consistent with ref A) for the resolution to renew the mandate of the Security Council Committee established by resolution 1540 (2004) with Russian Deputy PermRep Constantin Dolgov on April ¶3. Dolgov responded that he has firm instructions from "high levels" in Moscow to seek only a simple technical resolution to renew the Committee's mandate for two years. Stressing the need to maintain Security Council unity on 1540-related matters, Dolgov said U.S. insistence on a more expansive mandate renewal on a resolution that already made several other UN members uneasy was creating divisiveness. He urged the U.S. to work toward a consensus rollover resolution now and utilize the period before the next extension to attain the more ambitious reorientation of the mandate. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: Dolgov's comments are consistent with other Russian Mission representatives' comments to P-5 experts on March 19 and 28 and indicate that it will not be possible for the United States and Russia to resolve their differences in New York. P-3 representatives have delivered points consistent with reftel A to the Russian Mission at the experts' level (refs B-C). Since the United States has already demarched in Moscow (refs D-E),further consultations with the Russians between capitals may be necessary. USUN also understands that the United States will be demarching the elected Security Council members in capitals (ref F). In that regard, it should be noted that, although many of the elected members will likely welcome the increased emphasis on the Committee's work to facilitate the delivery of technical assistance that the United States, France, and the UK are seeking, aspects of the U.S. proposals, such as references to the Financial Action Task Force and requests for states to submit action plans will likely prove controversial among states such as South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam. As long as Russia and China insist upon a technical rollover, and given that the current mandate already authorizes the Committee to undertake efforts to facilitate the delivery of assistance to states, elected members may not have a strong incentive to seek more. END COMMENT. KHALILZAD