EXBS RUSSIA MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002329 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NP/ECC - ACHURCH DEPT FOR EUR/ACE - DMARTIN CBP/INA FOR PWARKER USDOE/NNSA FOR TPERRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP UP RS SUBJECT: EXBS RUSSIA MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE AUGUST 2009 Summary: This cable highlights activities of the Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) Russia Program Office for the period of August 01, 2009 to August 31, 2009. End Summary ¶1. On August 21st, the EXBS Advisor and EXBS Assistant had a very constructive, positive meeting with the export controls section within the Security and Disarmament Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). MFA had contacted the Federal Customs Service, the Ministry of Defense, the federal export licensing authority (FSTEK),and the federal space agency Roskosmos beforehand for comments and program suggestions. Some suggestions and ideas were entirely new, while others were developed from prior conversations we had held with these agencies and with MFA. As a result, significant progress was made on the following items: affirmation of continued US-Russia export controls cooperation; approval for three Russian government professionals to attend an export controls/nonproliferation course at the University of Georgia Athens in late October; agreement in principle to continue trade controls training for Russian government officials; approval to conduct a seminar on export controls violations enforcement; and endorsement of an exchange of US and Russian export controls (dual-use) licensing officials. This last item is a noteworthy development, in that it represents the first time that EXBS will work directly with FSTEK on an activity. ¶2. MFA also reiterated its strong desire to resume export controls Program Reviews, the last of which was held in 2007. EXBS in Moscow is coordinating dates, participants, location (Washington or Moscow) and agenda items with the MFA and the State Department in Washington. ¶3. In stating the MFA list of major export controls and nonproliferation issues of interest to the US, Mr. Alexander Mikhailovich Deineko, the head of the section, mentioned that he and his colleagues would be very busy with meetings and other activities related to UNSCR 1540 for most of the fall. He asked us for details about the proposed revision to the US export control system, specifically about the review of US trade controls on dual-use items launched by California Congressman Howard Berman and his plans to introduce a new Export Administration Act next year. Congressman Berman had visited Moscow in late June as part of a delegation of lawmakers to discuss a variety of US-Russian strategic issues. We told Mr. Deineko that we would convey his request through the appropriate channels. ¶4. Another notable development at the meeting was the addition of two new staff members. We were rather surprised to see the senior of the two, Mr. Anatoliy Mikhailovich Bulochnikov, as an MFA employee. We have known him for many years as the founder of the Center for Export Controls (CEC),the Russian partner of Commonwealth Trading Partners, which conducted a series of trade controls seminars throughout Russia for Customs and industry. ¶5. The EXBS team is working closely with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) delegation that will travel to Moscow to deliver a new course in Supply Chain Security to Russian Customs. The course will take place September 15-17. The following week the delegation will travel to St. Petersburg for meetings with Customs officials to help set up training they have requested for operators in Advanced Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) techniques. This training will take place towards the end of the year. ¶6. Following up on the exchange of best practices offered at the June EXBS Advisor's Meeting in Tbilisi, the EXBS Advisor and Assistant received an expert tutorial on the COAST system from the Senior Financial Management Officer at the embassy. This training will help us to track and record program expenses in a more efficient and timely manner. BEYRLE