Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MOSCOW693
2009-03-20 14:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MILITARY NOW IN CONTROL OF
how-toVZCZCXRO5551 PP RUEHBZ RUEHDBU RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO DE RUEHMO #0693 0791427 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 201427Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2472 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0138 RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0147 RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0049 RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE 0037 RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0075 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1213 RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0304 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 2219 RUEHWD/AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 0076
C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 000693
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ETRD ECON ASEC ZI RS
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MILITARY NOW IN CONTROL OF
ILLICIT DIAMOND ACTIVITY IN ZIMBABWE
REF: STATE 18545
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 000693
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ETRD ECON ASEC ZI RS
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MILITARY NOW IN CONTROL OF
ILLICIT DIAMOND ACTIVITY IN ZIMBABWE
REF: STATE 18545
Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche on March 20 to MFA
section chief for Zimbabwe Andrey Stolyarov, who said that
Russia shared U.S. concerns over the illicit diamond trade in
Zimbabwe and hoped that the new government in Harare would be
able to effectively address the issue. He avoided addressing
the argument that if military commanders, ZANU-PF members,
and Mugabe himself, personally benefited from the illicit
diamond trade, it seemed unlikely that they would let a
government led by an opposition leader curtail their
financial windfall. Stolyarov said that the GOR would wait
until a Kimberly Process mission to Zimbabwe made its report
before making further judgments on the situation.
2. (C) Stolyarov told us that the MFA was not aware of any
improper contacts between Russian businesses and the
Zimbabwean entities in control of the country's diamonds. He
explained that the diamond industry was a "very sensitive"
issue in Russia, and closely monitored by the Ministry of
Finance. It was no secret that Harare had reached out to
Alrosa, Russia's state-owned diamond monopoly, about working
with the Zimbabwe diamond industry, but the current situation
precluded any such consideration. Stolyarov explained that
Alrosa, which had a great deal of experience in Africa and
was currently working in Angola, was watching developments
closely.
BEYRLE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ETRD ECON ASEC ZI RS
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MILITARY NOW IN CONTROL OF
ILLICIT DIAMOND ACTIVITY IN ZIMBABWE
REF: STATE 18545
Classified By: Acting Political M/C David Kostelancik for reasons 1.4 (
b/d).
1. (C) We delivered reftel demarche on March 20 to MFA
section chief for Zimbabwe Andrey Stolyarov, who said that
Russia shared U.S. concerns over the illicit diamond trade in
Zimbabwe and hoped that the new government in Harare would be
able to effectively address the issue. He avoided addressing
the argument that if military commanders, ZANU-PF members,
and Mugabe himself, personally benefited from the illicit
diamond trade, it seemed unlikely that they would let a
government led by an opposition leader curtail their
financial windfall. Stolyarov said that the GOR would wait
until a Kimberly Process mission to Zimbabwe made its report
before making further judgments on the situation.
2. (C) Stolyarov told us that the MFA was not aware of any
improper contacts between Russian businesses and the
Zimbabwean entities in control of the country's diamonds. He
explained that the diamond industry was a "very sensitive"
issue in Russia, and closely monitored by the Ministry of
Finance. It was no secret that Harare had reached out to
Alrosa, Russia's state-owned diamond monopoly, about working
with the Zimbabwe diamond industry, but the current situation
precluded any such consideration. Stolyarov explained that
Alrosa, which had a great deal of experience in Africa and
was currently working in Angola, was watching developments
closely.
BEYRLE