Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MOSCOW686
2009-03-20 11:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:
RUSSIA KEEPS RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN ON THE CHEAP
how-toVZCZCXRO5346 PP RUEHDBU DE RUEHMO #0686 0791137 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 201137Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2463 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2633 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4224
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000686
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA KEEPS RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN ON THE CHEAP
REF: STATE 24367
Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000686
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA KEEPS RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN ON THE CHEAP
REF: STATE 24367
Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche, accompanied by a
colleague from the Japanese Embassy, on March 19 to MFA
Pakistan desk chief Andrey Starkov, who said that Russia
would send a representative to the Pakistan Donors Conference
in Tokyo. He could not say at what level the GOR would be
represented, but assumed that it would be at the deputy
foreign minister level or below, and could even fall to the
Russian Ambassador in Tokyo. Starkov expressed surprise at
the size of the planned U.S. pledge package of $1 billion,
and said that he expected Russia to attend the conference as
an "observer" rather than as a donor. Japanese First Vice
Minister Yabunaka encouraged Russia to attend the Tokyo
conference "as a donor" during his March 18 meeting with DFM
Denisov, according to our Japanese colleague, who said that
Denisov did not respond to this request.
2. (C) Starkov updated us on Moscow's plans for bilateral
meetings with Islamabad, which remain works in progress,
suggesting that relations continue to move at their regular,
limited pace. The GOR suggested holding the annual meeting
of the joint working group on counter-terrorism, which did
not meet at all in 2008, in Islamabad later this year, and
the consultative group on strategic stability, which
discusses regional and global issues, in Moscow, but had not
received a response from Pakistan. Pakistan FM Kasuri was
expected in Moscow to attend the March 27 Shanghai
Cooperation Organization conference on Afghanistan, but a
possible April visit to focus on bilateral issues was still
under discussion. Starkov told us that he had heard rumors
that Pakistan would like either the Russian President or
Premier to visit, but Moscow would only consider such a
gesture if there would be a substantive outcome.
3. (C) Commenting on developments in Pakistan, Starkov said
that the latest clash between President Zadari and opposition
leader Sharif demonstrated that the country remained
politically unstable. He argued that despite the positive
role Army Chief of Staff Kayani played in pressing the two
leaders to reach a compromise, the military was poised to
intervene should it appear the situation threatened to get
out of control. Starkov reiterated that it would be better
for Pakistan and the struggle against extremists if the
military came back into power and Kayani ran the country as
Musharraf had.
BEYRLE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON EFIN IBRD IMF PK RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA KEEPS RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN ON THE CHEAP
REF: STATE 24367
Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche, accompanied by a
colleague from the Japanese Embassy, on March 19 to MFA
Pakistan desk chief Andrey Starkov, who said that Russia
would send a representative to the Pakistan Donors Conference
in Tokyo. He could not say at what level the GOR would be
represented, but assumed that it would be at the deputy
foreign minister level or below, and could even fall to the
Russian Ambassador in Tokyo. Starkov expressed surprise at
the size of the planned U.S. pledge package of $1 billion,
and said that he expected Russia to attend the conference as
an "observer" rather than as a donor. Japanese First Vice
Minister Yabunaka encouraged Russia to attend the Tokyo
conference "as a donor" during his March 18 meeting with DFM
Denisov, according to our Japanese colleague, who said that
Denisov did not respond to this request.
2. (C) Starkov updated us on Moscow's plans for bilateral
meetings with Islamabad, which remain works in progress,
suggesting that relations continue to move at their regular,
limited pace. The GOR suggested holding the annual meeting
of the joint working group on counter-terrorism, which did
not meet at all in 2008, in Islamabad later this year, and
the consultative group on strategic stability, which
discusses regional and global issues, in Moscow, but had not
received a response from Pakistan. Pakistan FM Kasuri was
expected in Moscow to attend the March 27 Shanghai
Cooperation Organization conference on Afghanistan, but a
possible April visit to focus on bilateral issues was still
under discussion. Starkov told us that he had heard rumors
that Pakistan would like either the Russian President or
Premier to visit, but Moscow would only consider such a
gesture if there would be a substantive outcome.
3. (C) Commenting on developments in Pakistan, Starkov said
that the latest clash between President Zadari and opposition
leader Sharif demonstrated that the country remained
politically unstable. He argued that despite the positive
role Army Chief of Staff Kayani played in pressing the two
leaders to reach a compromise, the military was poised to
intervene should it appear the situation threatened to get
out of control. Starkov reiterated that it would be better
for Pakistan and the struggle against extremists if the
military came back into power and Kayani ran the country as
Musharraf had.
BEYRLE