AMB BEYRLE AND DFM RYABKOV DISCUSS EURO SECY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 002906 SIPDIS GENEVA FOR JCIC, DEPT FOR EUR/RPM, PM/RSAT, VCI/CCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2019 TAGS: PREL PARM MARR NATO RS AF SUBJECT: AMB BEYRLE AND DFM RYABKOV DISCUSS EURO SECY TREATY, NATO, AFGHAN TRANSIT Classified By: Amb. John Beyrle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov November 30 at the MFA and discussed, inter alia, the European Security Treaty, the Afghanistan transit agreement, and the upcoming visit to Moscow of Under Secretary Tauscher. Ryabkov thanked the Ambassador for the news that the U.S. had received the Russian draft of a new European Security Treaty and urged careful study of the proposal. He confirmed that Russia still wants agreement on a NATO "Way Forward" paper in some form before the ministerial. Ryabkov hoped that issues pertaining to the Afghanistan transit agreement would be worked out in the next week or so, although he did not reveal if the U.S. proposal to submit transit requests entirely in English would be acceptable. Ryabkov welcomed Under Secretary Tauscher's plan to visit Moscow December 7-8, and said Russian Ambassador Kislyak would be contacting the Under Secretary soon about details of the agenda for the visit. End summary. EST and NATO -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador Beyrle confirmed that the White House had received President Medvedev's letter and told Ryabkov the U.S. would study carefully the Russian draft of a European Security Treaty. Ryabkov noted that the European Security Treaty was a broad document meant to address the needs of the entire Euro-Atlantic region. The proposed treaty would deal with security issues "in a more structured way without weakening the prerogatives of individual states." Ryabkov said that the draft had now been shared with the U.S. and "other major partners," including NATO, the EU, and CSTO. (Note: Ryabkov did not mention OSCE. End note.) In response to Amb. Beyrle's urging Russia to move ahead with plans for further engagement at the NATO-Russia Council, Ryabkov said much progress had recently been made in Brussels, including proposals for restructuring the NRC contained in a revised version of the "Way Forward" paper, and Russia was ready to make a "final push" for an agreed document. Amb. Beyrle welcomed this, and hoped firm plans could be announced at the NATO Ministerial in early December. Afghanistan Transit Agreement -------------- ¶3. (C) Ryabkov said that issues surrounding the Afghanistan transit agreement providing for over-flight of Russia by aircraft supplying U.S. and Allied forces in Afghanistan should be resolved in a few weeks. Ryabkov noted that although the U.S. wanted to submit over-flight requests entirely in English, Germany and Spain submitted their requests at least partly in Russian. Ryabkov commended "U.S. creativity" on the applicability of ICAO standards to the aircraft involved, although he implied that civilian aircraft chartered by the USG were not per se exempt from ICAO standards. Ambassador Beyrle said the U.S. still hoped to conduct 20 flights before the end of 2009, meaning roughly one per day. U/S Tauscher Visit -------------- ¶4. (C) Ryabkov said that Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak would be contacting Under Secretary Ellen Tauscher soon about the agenda for her visit to Moscow in December. Ryabkov sought confirmation of the details of the Under Secretary's schedule and the makeup of her delegation. Ambassador Beyrle confirmed that U/S Tauscher would arrive by December 6 for her December 7 meetings and would depart Moscow December 8. The delegation would include, inter alios, U/S Tauscher, Special Advisor Timbie, NSC Director Friedt, and a representative from OSD. Beyrle