INFORMING BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, AND UKRAINE OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 030048 SENSITIVE SIPDIS MOSCOW FOR DTRO-M/ACID GENEVA FOR JCIC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM KACT START US RS UP BO KZ SUBJECT: INFORMING BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, AND UKRAINE OF U.S. INTENTIONS TO PURSUE BILATERAL START FOLLOW-ON AGREEMENT ¶1. (U) Secure communications with Minsk remains unavailable. Post is requested to pass SBU points to appropriate host government officials. ¶2. (U) This is an action cable. Astana, Minsk, Kyiv, and Moscow: please see appropriate paragraphs below. Posts should be aware that the information will be passed to appropriate officials at corresponding embassies in Washington on March 31. ¶3. (SBU) Background and Objective: The United States will be pursuing a follow-on agreement to the START Treaty. As has been made clear previously, the United States intends to pursue this as a bilateral agreement that further reduces the strategic forces of both the United States and Russia. In advance of the meeting between Presidents Obama and Medvedev on April 1, it is necessary to advise the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Ukraine that the U.S. President intends to announce the pursuit of that bilateral START follow- on agreement with Russia. ¶4. (SBU) Action for Embassy Astana: Deliver to host government officials, at an appropriate level, the non-paper below. Post is requested to report delivery and reactions. Begin text of non-paper: The Republic of Kazakhstan has been a valued Partner in implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) since its entry into force, as provided for in the Lisbon Protocol. The United States wishes to express appreciation for the leadership role that Kazakhstan has played in these efforts since 1995. We recognize the historical and valuable disarmament contribution of Kazakhstan through its renunciation of nuclear weapons and its accession to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. On the basis of the status of the United States, together with the Russian Federation, as nuclear weapons States-Parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and for other reasons, it is the intention of the United States to engage in negotiation of a legally binding follow-on agreement to the START Treaty on a bilateral basis with the Russian Federation. The work accomplished by our mutual association in Treaty activities has reflected well on both our nations, and our Treaty experts look forward to continued consultations 
with your Treaty experts through expiration of the START Treaty. End text of non-paper. ¶5. (SBU) Action for Embassy Minsk: Deliver to host government officials, at an appropriate level, the non-paper below. Post is requested to report delivery and reactions. Begin text of non-paper: The Republic of Belarus has been a valued Partner in implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) since its entry into force, as provided for in the Lisbon Protocol. The United States wishes to express appreciation for the active role that Belarus has played in these efforts since 1995. We recognize the historical and valuable disarmament contribution of Belarus through its renunciation of nuclear weapons and its accession to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. On the basis of the status of the United States, together with the Russian Federation, as nuclear weapons States-Parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and for other reasons, it is the intention of the United States to engage in negotiation of a legally STATE 00030048 002 OF 002 SUBJECT: INFORMING BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, AND UKRAINE OF U.S. INTENTIONS TO PURSUE BILATERAL START FOLLOW-ON AGREEME binding follow-on agreement to the START Treaty on a bilateral basis with the Russian Federation. The work accomplished by our mutual association in Treaty activities has reflected well on both our nations, and our Treaty experts look forward to continued consultations with your Treaty experts through the expiration of the START Treaty. End text of non-paper. ¶6. (SBU) Action for Embassy Kyiv: Deliver to host government officials, at an appropriate level, the non-paper below. Post is requested to report delivery and reactions. Begin text of non-paper: Ukraine has been a valued Partner in implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) since its entry into force. The United States wishes to express appreciation for the active role that Ukraine has played in these efforts, as well as the important steps that Ukraine took in signing the Lisbon Protocol. We recognize the historical and valuable disarmament contribution of Ukraine through its renunciation of nuclear weapons and its accession to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state, in addition to Ukraine's active role in the workings of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We wish to inform you that it is the intention of the United States to engage in negotiation of a legally-binding follow-on agreement to the START Treaty on a bilateral basis with the Russian Federation. We recall your non-paper of February 25, 2009, which stated that further discussion between the United States and Ukraine with regard to concerns about the nonproliferation and disarmament process would be beneficial. We would welcome such discussions. In addition, we reiterate that the United States remains committed to the economically feasible, technologically sound elimination of fuel from the SS-24 loaded motor cases. The work accomplished by our mutual association in Treaty activities has reflected well on both our nations, and our Treaty experts look forward to continued consultations with your Treaty experts through the expiration of the START Treaty. End text of non-paper. ¶7. (SBU) Action for Embassy Moscow: Deliver the following points to appropriate host government officials after March 31. - Prior to the April 1, 2009, meeting between our two Presidents, we briefed appropriate government officials in Astana, Minsk, and Kyiv of the U.S. intention to pursue a legally binding follow-on agreement to the START Treaty on a bilateral basis with the Russian Federation. - We recommend that you also reach out to our START Treaty Partners and advise them along these same lines. - (If asked) In advising these Parties that the United States intends to pursue negotiation of a legally binding follow-on agreement to the START Treaty on a bilateral basis with the Russian Federation, we noted the valuable contributions of these three Partners to START implementation since entry into force and noted that our Treaty experts look forward to continued consultations with their Treaty experts through the expiration of the Treaty. End points. CLINTON