EXBS: RUSSIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - OCTOBER

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002751 SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/ECC JFRIEDMAN, ACHURCH, ROWEN, LSPRINGER CBP FOR INA, PLEASE PASS TO TCORWIN USDOE WASHDC ALSO FOR NNSA, PLEASE PASS TO TPERRY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP UP RS SUBJECT: EXBS: RUSSIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - OCTOBER 2009 ¶1. Begin summary: BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS: EXBS has been approached by Russian Central Customs Administration (Moscow) to support an IVP to US ports of entry. EXBS is working with CBP and ICE on this visit. A new Russian federal agency, Rosgranitsa, has also asked EXBS and CBP's help to conduct a similar IVP. Rosgranitsa is charged with ensuring security of facilities and IT infrastructure at ports of entry. EXBS is working with CBP and the Russian Embassy in Washington to develop this visit. Planning with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proceeds on the reinstituted Program Review and additional Export Licensing Exchange scheduled for the first week of February in Washington. Advisor participated in consultations in Washington October 13-14. End summary. ¶2. Completed Actions for Reporting Period. ¶A. Site Assessments and Meetings During the Reporting Period. i. October 6 - EXBS Advisor met with DCM Eric Rubin to report on progress and challenges for the EXBS program in Russia. DCM was pleased with cooperation from Russian stakeholders and US interagency partners. DCM agreed to host reception for Customs Attache Club in the nearest future. DCM approved EXBS Advisor's request for reinstatement on Country Team, which had been suspended since the time of the previous Advisor. ii. October 26 - Ambassador Beyrle visited the Law Enforcement Section, where EXBS is located, to solicit input on ways that law enforcement could advance the US-Russian strategic relationship. The EXBS Advisor and EXBS Assistant cited the upcoming Program Review (requested by MFA) and export licensing exchange as examples of enhanced cooperation. In addition, we mentioned the export enforcement seminar that will take place in 2010 as an example of new areas of cooperation in law enforcement. iii. October 28 - EXBS Advisor met with Jules Silberberg of the Political Section to update him on EXBS activities and identify areas of mutual interest. The meeting was requested by Mr. Silberberg, who is doing a return tour of duty in Moscow after being away for eight years. We agreed that periodic contact and information exchange would be mutually beneficial. iv. October 29 - EXBS Advisor and ICE representatives attended the Customs Attache Club meeting and reception at the Finnish Embassy. Finnish customs officers reported on approaches to inspect, interdict, and prosecute export controls violators. Present were several representatives of Russian Customs from the international cooperation section, including their chief, Mr. Sergei Konovalenko. Also present was Mr. Aleksei Vasiliev, head of the Northwest Region (St. Petersburg) Administration; and Ms. Yekaterina Grigorevna, from the Central Region (Moscow) Administration. The Advisor had constructive conversations with all of the Russian officers to advance planned activities, including the Central Region IVP in December and Advanced Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) training in St. Petersburg at a later date. ¶B. Training Conducted During Reporting Period. i. EXBS continues to support DOE/INECP's targeted export controls training for managers at Roskosmos and Rosatom. The EXBS Assistant attended two export controls workshops organized by DOE/INECP October 6-8 for Roskosmos employees, and October 21-23 for Rosatom employees. The workshops consisted of presentations by Roskomos and Rosatom, respectively; FSTEK (the federal licensing authority), Customs, and specialized labs on their agencies' relationship to export controls. Both workshops were held in St. Petersburg with EXBS funding, attracting 30-40 attendees to each event. The Roskosmos event also included a presentation on internal compliance by Dr. James Smith, formerly of The Boeing Company, now working as a consultant. ¶C. Equipment Delivered During Reporting Period. i. The EXBS Russia program does not distribute equipment. ¶3. Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update i. EXBS is working with CBP and ICE on an IVP requested by the Central Region (Moscow) Customs Administration scheduled for mid-December. The delegation will visit ports of entry in Southern California, including Los Angeles (Long Beach) and San Diego to observe procedures and technologies for processing passenger and cargo traffic. ¶4. Significant Developments in Export Controls, Nonproliferation, or Related Border Security i. A brouhaha over fears by academics that bureaucratic barriers could hamper their efforts to publish and travel abroad seems to have died down. In early October, an internal document from St. Petersburg State University was posted on a popular Internet forum. The document called for faculty members to provide copies of texts to be published abroad so that they could be reviewed for violations of intellectual property law or possible export controls violations. This requirement would have been extended even to the humanities. The ensuing outcry from academics and attention by the media led to a statement issued by university authorities in early November overturning this requirement for researchers in the humanities and social sciences. ¶5. Country Plans and Other Assistance i. This material was transmitted separately to Action Officer Rachel Owen. ¶6. CONTACT INFORMATION. Joan Agerholm is the EXBS Advisor for Russia and can be reached at AgerholmJA@state.gov, or +7 (985) 410-30-87. Konstantin Troyan is the EXBS Assistant for Russia and can be reached at troyanka@state.gov, or +7 (985) 923-05-18. BEYRLE