START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2019
TAGS: KACT MARR PARM PREL RS US START
SUBJECT: START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA
(SFO-GVA-VII): (U) NOTIFICATIONS WORKING GROUP MEETING,
DECEMBER 2, 2009

Classified By: A/S Rose E. Gottemoeller, United States
START Negotiator. Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) This is SFO-GVA-VII-084.


2. (U) Meeting Date: December 2, 2009
Time: 10:30 A.M. - 11:20 P.M.
Q Place: Russian Mission, Geneva

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SUMMARY
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3. (S) The one-on-one chairman's meeting focused on taking
stock of where the two sides were with respect to a future
Notifications Joint Draft Text (JDT) and reviewed the U.S.
concept for what the future JDT would look like. The Russian
Federation proposed to review Treaty Article VIII, however,
the U.S. side had not received the translation of the Russian
text so was not in a position to meet. End Summary.


4. (U) SUBJECT SUMMARY: Conversion or Elimination
Notifications; and Draft Notification Protocol.

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CONVERSION OR ELIMINATION NOTIFICATIONS
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5. (S) At a one-on-one meeting of the Notifications Working
Group, Mr. Dwyer confirmed that the U.S. side had studied the
Russian proposals on retaining, deleting, combining, or
modifying 153 START Notification formats with respect to the
application to the new treaty. He noted that the Russian
Federation had proposed 19 formats to be combined under START
Format 3, Notification of Change in Data in the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU). The U.S. side agreed with combining 14,
but not with 5. Dwyer proposed that formats 59, 60, 61, and
64 remain distinct and be part of Section IV (Notifications
on Conversion or Elimination (CorE)) of the Notifications
Part of the Treaty Protocol.


6. (S) Col Ryzhkov had no objections and replied that this
corresponded with his team's thinking concerning
notifications--to have as few notifications and formats as
possible. Ryzhkov reminded Dwyer that Russia had initially
proposed having three formats for conversion and three for
elimination. He continued, however, that it might be
possible to have a total of three CorE notifications. One
notification would correspond to an intention to CorE, one
notification would cover the initiation of a CorE activity,
while the final notification would highlight the completion
of a CorE activity. Each notification would be applicable to
all types of strategic offensive arms (SOA) and would use a
"type" line in the format. Ryzhkov continued that a further
reduction in the number of formats could be achieved by using
the notification on the change on MOU data (Notification #3)
for the completion of a CorE activity, as a CorE of SOA would
result in a change in the reportable MOU data. Ryzhkov
concluded by saying that reducing the number of notifications
to the minimum essential was a desirable goal. Dwyer
responded that combining and eliminating unnecessary
notifications was a shared goal.


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DRAFT NOTIFICATIONS PROTOCOL
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7. (S) Dwyer stated that the United States had prepared a
draft working paper on Part IV of the Protocol to the Treaty:
Notifications. The paper accounted for the Russian
positions and the results of recent discussions. Dwyer
informed Ryzhkov that the paper was currently being
translated and the intent was to deliver it on Thursday so
that discussions between the two sides of the concepts and
path forward could take place Friday morning. Ryzhkov
replied that he and his team would review it and use the text
as a starting point for the Notifications Joint Draft Text.
Dwyer reiterated that it would be delivered as soon as the
translation was complete. Ryzhkov concluded by requesting a
meeting the next morning with Mr. Siemon to discuss Treaty
Article VIII. Dwyer promised to relay the message on to Mr.
Siemon.


8. (U) Documents provided: None.


9. (U) Participants:

U.S.

Mr. Dwyer
LTC LaGraffe
Dr. Hopkins (Int)

RUSSIA

Col Ryzhkov
Mr. Smirnov
Ms. Komshilova (Int)


10. (U) Gottemoeller sends.
GRIFFITHS