NONPAPER ON JOINT THREAT ASSESSMENT RECEIVED

S E C R E T MOSCOW 002073 SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019 TAGS: PARM PREL PGOV MNUC RS SUBJECT: NONPAPER ON JOINT THREAT ASSESSMENT RECEIVED REF: 8/10 PALMIERO-KATSAKIS EMAIL Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik. Reasons 1.4 (a, b, d, h). ¶1. (S) On August 12 MFA DVBR Second Secretary Dmitriy Kostychenko passed us a nonpaper response to ref request for potential dates for further joint threat assessment consultations. ¶2. (SBU) Begin unofficial translation of nonpaper text: To be passed to the U.S. side Given the information provided by the United States Embassy regarding the intention of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary V. Van Diepen to arrive to Moscow during the second half of September "to continue consultations related to the joint analysis of missile threats," we would like to make the following comment: As we informed you earlier, the proposals regarding the organizational issues related to setting up a bilateral dialogue on this problem made by the U.S. side late in July have been channeled to the relevant Russian agencies for review. Once we receive feedback from them, we expect to have an idea when the consultations could start. We view this phase of our contacts only as preliminary, aimed to resolved organizational issues. As for the substance of the bilateral consultations planned in compliance with the Joint Declaration of the President of Russia and the President of the United States of July 6, we believe that their agenda must be strictly observed. We view the Joint Declaration on the missile issues as an integrated document. We believe that their backbone is the provision on the strengthening of our bilateral strategic relations based on mutual respect and joint interests, which implies in the first place that the U.S. side would take into account Russia's concerns in the context of possible cooperation. In this context, it is important that we receive from the U.S. side as soon as possible a detailed response in writing to our Memorandum on those issues that was handed over to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in The Hague on March 31, 2009. RUBIN