SFO-DIP-09-001: U.S. VIEWS REGARDING THE EXPIRATION

S E C R E T STATE 084678 SIPDIS, GENEVA FOR JCIC E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2029 TAGS: KACT PARM START US RS SUBJECT: SFO-DIP-09-001: U.S. VIEWS REGARDING THE EXPIRATION OF THE START TREATY AND PERIMETER PORTAL CONTINUOUS MONITORING AT VOTKINSK REF: A. 08 GENEVA 000987 ¶B. 08 GENEVA 000997 ¶C. 08 GENEVA 001010 ¶D. 08 GENEVA 001018 ¶E. STATE 036151 ¶F. STATE 055556 ¶G. ROME 000476 ¶H. MOSCOW 001347 Classified By: Jerry A. Taylor, Director, VCI/SI. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 6 below. ¶2. (S) BACKGROUND: In November 2008, at JCIC-XXXIII in Geneva, the Russian and U.S. delegations prepared drafts of an Agreement on Principles and Procedures for Completion of Continuous Monitoring Activities at the Monitored Facility at Votkinsk. In addition, the delegations prepared letters of exchange on the use of ground transportation and settlement of accounts in connection with the Agreement (Refs A, B, C, and D). On January 26, 2009, the Russian Federation provided a revised version of the package of documents to the United States through diplomatic channels. ¶3. (S) In April, the United States proposed as a JCIC agenda item for JCIC-XXXIV ?Preparation for Conclusion of Continuous Monitoring at Production Facility for Mobile ICBMs at Votkinsk and Closure of Points of Entry? (Ref E) and Washington drafted revised proposals to address the remaining issues in the documents. However, because negotiations were beginning on a treaty to replace the START Treaty, the United States decided not to table the revised proposals or to discuss the issue in the JCIC. Washington believed that any discussion of closure of the Votkinsk portal monitoring facility in the JCIC could prejudice discussion of the right to conduct portal monitoring in the START Follow-On negotiations. The U.S. delegation was instructed to inform the other delegations that, because of the on-going START Follow-on negotiations, any discussion on this issue should be deferred (Ref F). ¶4. (S) During the initial meetings of the U.S. and Russian delegations for the START Follow-on negotiations (Refs G and H),the United States made clear that the U.S. position with respect to the START Follow-on treaty was that it should have verification provisions drawn from START, appropriately modified and simplified for the provisions of the new treaty, including Portal Monitoring at Votkinsk. In response, the Russian delegation stated that in connection with the expiration of the START Treaty, U.S. continuous monitoring activities at the portal of the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant must cease, inspection equipment and devices must be dismantled and removed from the Russian Federation, and the monitoring team must leave the territory of the Russian Federation before December 5, 2009. The Russian delegation also stated that the Russian Federation did not envisage including a provision on any U.S. continuous monitoring activities at the portal of the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant in the future START Follow-on accord. ¶5. (S) The United States remains committed to inclusion in the START Follow-on treaty of provisions that would continue U.S. Perimeter Portal Continuous Monitoring (PPCM) at Votkinsk, but recognizes that contingency plans must be made to provide for the possible shut down of PPCM at Votkinsk and the disposition of equipment and supplies in the event that such provisions are not included in the START Follow-on treaty, or if the START Treaty expires without agreement on the Follow-on treaty. In either case, the United States intends to carry out its full START Treaty rights with respect to PPCM at Votkinsk until the expiration of the START Treaty on December 5, 2009. To that end, the United States proposes reaching agreement with the Russian Federation on the steps that would provide for the shutdown of PPCM and the departure of U.S. monitors and selected equipment on December 4, 2009, and would provide for the orderly disposition of all remaining U.S. equipment and supplies at Votkinsk after December 5, 2009, but before March 1, 2010. ¶6. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy Moscow is requested to provide the non-paper in paragraph 7 below to appropriate host government officials by August 14. Washington will provide a courtesy Russian-language translation of the text in paragraph 7 to be delivered along with the English language text. Embassy is requested to confirm delivery of the non-paper, the name and office of the official to whom it was delivered, the date of delivery, and any comment or reaction provided at that time. ¶7. (S/Releasable to the Russian Federation) Begin text: U.S. Non-paper August 14, 2009 U.S. VIEWS REGARDING THE EXPIRATION OF THE START TREATY AND PERIMETER PORTAL CONTINUOUS MONITORING AT VOTKINSK The United States remains committed to inclusion of provisions in the START Follow-on treaty that would continue the U.S. right to conduct Perimeter Portal Continuous Monitoring (PPCM) at Votkinsk. The United States is prepared to continue the discussion of the verification and monitoring measures for mobile missiles at the next negotiating session for the START Follow-on treaty. The United States intends to carry out its full START Treaty rights with respect to PPCM at Votkinsk until the expiration of the START Treaty on December 5, 2009. However, the United States appreciates that contingency plans must be made, without prejudice to the negotiation of a START Follow-on treaty, to provide for the possible shutdown of PPCM at Votkinsk, and the disposition of equipment and supplies if the START Treaty expires prior to entry into force of the follow-on treaty. To this end, until agreement is reached on the continuation of PPCM, the United States proposes that the United States and Russia agree on steps that would provide for the shutdown of PPCM and the departure of U.S. monitors and selected equipment from Votkinsk on December 4, 2009, and for the orderly disposition of all remaining U.S. equipment and supplies at Votkinsk after December 5, 2009, but before March 1, 2010. The United States believes that the previous discussions in the JCIC regarding an Agreement on Principles and Procedures for Completion of Continuous Monitoring Activities at the Monitored Facility at Votkinsk and the letters of exchange on the use of ground transportation and settlement of accounts in connection with the Agreement, could form the basis for agreement. However, because the United States intends to carry out its PPCM rights at Votkinsk until December 4, 2009, provisions in the draft Agreement and letters would have to be modified to address the shutdown of PPCM and the departure of all monitors and selected equipment on that date, and the subsequent disposition of remaining equipment and supplies. With respect to equipment and supplies remaining after December 4, the United States would propose that an authorized representative of the U.S. Government conclude a new contract with the Russian Votkinsk Plant State Production Association, the cargo carrier currently selected by the Russian Federation, to package and transport to a specified location all remaining equipment, or to provide for other disposition as agreed. In the event that PPCM provisions are agreed in the START Follow-on treaty, but the treaty is not in force on December 4, 2009, the United States would propose that an authorized representative of the U.S. government contract with the Votkinsk Plant State Production Association for the packing and storage of equipment and supplies, and the preservation of the U.S. Portal Monitoring Facility in a caretaker status until such time as PPCM is reestablished at Votkinsk. End text. CLINTON