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
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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