PROPOSAL FOR FURTHER SENIOR LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ON

S E C R E T STATE 057279

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/03/2019
TAGS: MARR PREL PARM KTIA RS
SUBJECT: PROPOSAL FOR FURTHER SENIOR LEVEL DISCUSSIONS ON
BALLISTIC MISSILE THREATS, MISSILE DEFENSE COOPERATION,
AND U.S. AGREEMENT ON THE U.S.-RUSSIA JOINT DATA EXCHANGE
CENTER

Classified By: Classified By: ISN Acting A/S Eliot C.S. Kang,
Reason E.O. 12958 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. This is an action request. See paragraph 3.


2. (S) SUMMARY. A U.S. interagency delegation led by
Ambassador Stephen Mull met with a Russian interagency
delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
on ballistic missile defense and U.S.-Russia Joint Data
Exchange Center (JDEC) issues on May 28, 2009 in Moscow.
(Full reporting on this meeting to be provided septel.) As a
follow-up to this meeting Washington would like to send a
delegation to Russia June 15-17, 2009, led by Ambassador
Stephen Mull, accompanied by experts, to conduct an initial
meeting for a joint U.S.-Russia threat assessment of the
Iranian ballistic missile program, to develop concrete plans
for U.S.-Russian ballistic missile defense (BMD) cooperation,
and resolve the remaining outstanding issues (i.e., taxation,
liability, "rare exceptions," and site selection) required to
implement the JDEC and the Pre-Launch Notification System
(PLNS),which Washington is offering as a key deliverable for
the July Presidential Summit.

3.(SBU) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy Moscow is requested to
convey the non-paper in paragraph 4 to Deputy Foreign
Minister Ryabkov, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and/or other
appropriate MFA officials, as well as Col. Yevgeniy Il'in,
Main Directorate of International Military Cooperation,
Ministry of Defense. Post is requested to provide
confirmation of delivery and to report back to Washington any
initial reactions.


4. (S/REL RUSSIA) BEGIN TEXT OF NON-PAPER:

U.S. Non-Paper for Further Senior Level Discussions with
Russia on June 15-17, 2009

June 3, 2009

-- The United States appreciated the constructive talks that
were held with Russia on May 28 regarding a joint U.S.-Russia
threat assessment of the Iranian ballistic missile program,
possible U.S.-Russia ballistic missile defense (BMD)
cooperation, and resolution of the remaining outstanding
issues required to implement the Joint Data Exchange Center
(JDEC) and Pre-Launch Notification System (PLNS) agreements.

-- As a follow-up to those discussions, the United States
proposes sending another interagency delegation to Moscow
prior to the July Presidential Summit for follow-up meetings
to be hosted by the Russian MFA during June 15-17, 2009. The

U. S. Delegation would again be led by Ambassador Stephen
Mull. This U.S. interagency delegation of senior policy
officials and their technical experts would - as agreed at
the May 28, 2009 meeting - kick-off a Joint Assessment of the
threat from the Iranian ballistic missile program. At this
meeting, we look forward to Russia,s presentation on the
Iranian ballistic missile threat.

-- At the June 15-17 meeting the United States also proposes
to further discuss concrete approaches for U.S.-Russia BMD
cooperation as well as the resolution of the remaining issues
required to implement the JDEC and PLNS agreements.

-- In connection with JDEC implementation, the United States
is prepared to send Department of Defense site security
experts to Moscow as part of the U.S. Delegation if, on the
margins of the senior level talks, their Russian counterparts
are prepared to offer visits to specific JDEC sites with a
view towards obtaining practical agreement on a site and its
security requirements.

-- Additionally, the United States will shortly transmit a
non-paper responding to your request for our proposal in
writing on "rare exceptions." We will also provide our
reactions to your thoughts discussed at the May 28 meeting on
liability and taxation provisions in the JDEC agreement. We
hope to receive your reactions prior to our June 15-17
meeting.

END TEXT OF NON-PAPER.
CLINTON