START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA

S E C R E T GENEVA 001233 SIPDIS DEPT FOR T, VCI AND EUR/PRA DOE FOR NNSA/NA-24 CIA FOR WINPAC JCS FOR J5/DDGSA SECDEF FOR OSD(P)/STRATCAP NAVY FOR CNO-N5JA AND DIRSSP AIRFORCE FOR HQ USAF/ASX AND ASXP DTRA FOR OP-OS OP-OSA AND DIRECTOR NSC FOR LOOK DIA FOR LEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 TAGS: KACT MARR PARM PREL RS US START SUBJECT: START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VII): (U)MEETING OF THE NOTIFICATIONS PROTOCOL WORKING GROUP, DECEMBER 15, 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-149. ¶2. (U) Meeting Date: December 15, 2009 Time: 3:00 P.m. to 5:30 P.M. Place: U.S. Mission, Geneva -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶3. (S) During a meeting of the Notifications Working Group, held at the U.S. Mission on December 15, the sides discussed multiple sections of the Joint Draft Text of Part Four of the Protocol to the treaty, concerning Notifications. Specifically, Section I, General Provisions, Section II, Notifications Concerning the Database, Section IV, Notifications Concerning Flight Tests of ICBMs and SLBMs, and Section V, Notifications Concerning Conversion or Eliminations of Items and Facilities Subject to the Treaty. Sections I and IV were agreed in full and sent to the Conforming Group. End Summary. ¶4. (S) SUBJECT SUMMARY: Progress; and Continued Disagreement -------------- PROGRESS -------------- ¶5. (S) The two sides discussed four sections of Part Four of the Protocol to the treaty, Notifications. Mr. Siemon said the United States had removed the remaining bracketed paragraph in Section I, General Provisions, and Col Ryzhkov responded that the section was now agreed. Siemon also stated that the U.S.-proposed bracketed text in Section IV, Notifications Concerning Flight Tests of ICBMs and SLBMs, could be removed. The U.S side agreed to the 24-hour advanced notification prior to flight tests, and it agreed to remove "Telemetric Information" in the title. Siemon noted the United states reserved the right to re-insert text on telemetry depending on future guidance, but that for now the section was agreed. ¶6. (S) In Section II, Siemon reiterated the U.S. position regarding the subsections of paragraph 3, the Notification Concerning Changes to the Database. He told Ryzhkov that the updates to the U.S.-proposed text clarified the overall purpose of the notification. Ryzhkov accepted some of the subsections (Subsections A, B, C, and D),but not two others (Subsections E and F). Siemon stated he would discuss the Russian position on Subsections E and F with the U.S. delegation and provide a response at the next meeting. -------------- CONTINUED DISAGREEMENT -------------- ¶7. (S) Ryzhkov inquired why the United States continued to retain the "Notification of Completion of Conversion or Elimination and of the beginning of the time period for inspection activities." LT Sicks responded it was preferable to limit the use of a database update notification to instances of changes to treaty data. The current Russian proposal called for multiple database update notifications to be sent for a single eliminated item. Ryzhkov told Siemon that the Russian side would review the U.S. concept. Sicks also recommended that the notification concerning the Annual Plan of Conversion or Elimination Activities (Begin comment: A START FORMAT 68. End comment.) be retained to allow for better resource planning. Ryzhkov replied that the Russian side believed a 30-day advanced notification of intent would suffice. Siemon told Ryzhkov that he would discuss the issue with the U.S. delegation. ¶8. (S) Ryzhkov and Siemon discussed the following U.S.-proposed text on providing advance notifications for ICBMs and SLBMs exiting a productions facility. The language would be located in treaty Article X and Part Four of the Protocol, Notifications. (Begin comment: The text was turned over that morning to Russian Head of Delegation Antonov by U,S. Head of Delegation Gottemoeller. End comment.) Begin text: Article X ¶3. The Parties shall provide notification no later than 48 hours in advance of the exit of ICBMs and SLBMs from production facilities for solid fuel ICBMs and SLBMs. For the purpose of this paragraph, such production facilities are, for the Russian Federation, the Votkinsk production facility, and for the United States, (to be provided). Such notifications shall identify whether the ballistic missile is an ICBM or SLBM, and shall include the unique identifier, the destination of such ICBMs and SLBMs and the estimated time of arrival. Notifications Protocol Section II ¶4. Notification no later than 48 hours in advance of the exit of solid fuel ICBMs and SLBMs from production facilities. End text. ¶9. (S) Ryzhkov stated the entire text could be covered within Part Four of the Protocol, and he objected to the use of unique identifiers (UIDs). Siemon replied that the use of UIDs, in addition to a 48-hour advanced notice of exit from a production facility, was an agreed compromise in exchange for the United States ceasing its insistence on portal monitoring at Votkinsk. Ryzhkov retorted that the use of UIDs was part of a Russian package proposal that the U.S. side had not accepted. Ryzhkov agreed to provide Russian-proposed text during the next meeting. ¶10. (S) Siemon recommended moving non-essential information in Part Four to the future Technical Annex (Tier Three) document. He indicated only the basic information (i.e., notification name, time period, and reason for transmission) was required in the Tier II text. Ryzhkov replied that the Russian side would review that approach. Siemon closed by stating Section VI, Notifications Concerning Inspections and Exhibitions, and Section VII, Notifications Concerning Additional Messages and the Bilateral Consultative Commission, would be discussed during the next meeting. Notifications regarding telemetry, throw weight, display in the open, and others could not be discussed without further guidance from both Washington and Moscow. ¶11. (U) Documents provided: - UNITED STATES: -- Section I, General Provisions, of Part IV to the Protocol, dated December 15, 2009; -- Section II, Notifications Concerning the Database, dated December 15, 2009; -- Section III, Notifications Concerning Movement of Strategic Offensive Arms, dated December 15, 2009; -- Section IV, Notifications Concerning Flight Tests of ICBMs and SLBMs, dated December 15, 2009; and -- Section V, Notifications Concerning Conversion or Elimination, dated December 15, 2009. ¶12. (U) Participants: UNITED STATES Mr. Siemon Mr. Dwyer Mr. Highsmith Ms. Pura LT Sicks Ms. Smith (Int) RUSSIA Col Ryzhkov Mr. Smirnov Mr. Voloskov Ms. Komshilova (Int) ¶13. (U) Gottemoeller sends. GRIFFITHS