CHARGE DELIVERS MESSAGE ON U.S.-RUSSIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000543 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/UMB E.O. 12958: Declassify: 07/13/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PBTS RS MD SUBJECT: CHARGE DELIVERS MESSAGE ON U.S.-RUSSIA PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT Classified by Charge d'Affaires a.i. Kelly Keiderling under 1.4 (b) and (d). REF: SECSTATE 70576 ¶1. (C) On July 13, 2009, the Charge delivered reftel talking points to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Valeriu Ostalep. After noting U.S. support for the territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine and rejecting the idea of privileged spheres of influence (reftel para. 15),the Charge preempted any concern about Moldova's not being included in the list with Georgia and Ukraine by restating U.S. support of Moldova's territorial integrity. The Charge also stressed that no improvement in U.S.-Russian relations would be made at the expense of friends in the region such as Moldova. Ostalep thanked her for the readout, and said his government knew well the U.S. position about upholding Moldovan territorial integrity. ¶2. (C) The Deputy Foreign Minister expressed his doubt about Russian intentions in the region. He said that he still doubted how much Russia could be trusted, and raised the issue of Ukraine's demand that Russian intelligence officers leave Sevastopol, and Russia's refusal to do so. (Note: Russia's Black Sea fleet is based at Sevastopol in Ukraine's Crimea, under the terms of a treaty that expires in 2017. End note.) Ostalep described the issues of the refusal and the re-negotiation of the treaty as serious issues for the next government of Ukraine. He also wondered why Ukraine failed to support more fully Moldova's position on Transnistria, when Ukraine was facing the possibility of an analogous problem on its own territory. ¶3. (C) Ostalep described his frustration with Ukraine's lack of full cooperation with the European Union Border Assistance Mission. He said that Ukraine had refused, without explanation, to establish joint Ukrainian-Moldovan checkpoints at border posts along the Transnistrian portion of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. Ostalep said that, as a result, Transnistrian officials under an EU- U.S. visa ban, including some sought by Interpol, are able to leave Transnistria and enter a "tolerant" Ukraine. Ukraine, he said, should also subscribe to the visa ban. Ostalep blamed Ukrainian oligarchs with business interests in Transnistria for keeping the border open to suspect individuals, and lamented the fact that these oligarchs were able to trump Ukraine's strategic interests. ¶4. (C) Comment: Even when we are reporting about improved U.S.-Russian relations, Moldovan officials' first response is to worry about Russia and its ambitions in the "near abroad." Ostalep was no exception. Moldova is perpetually nail- biting about Russia. We need to provide constant reassurance that the U.S. will not abandon Moldova. KEIDERLING