DIPLOMATIC NOTE REGARDING UKRAINIAN LINK OUTAGE

UNCLAS STATE 093861 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UP PARM SUBJECT: DIPLOMATIC NOTE REGARDING UKRAINIAN LINK OUTAGE REF: NONE 1.This is an action request. Embassy Kyiv please see paragraph 3. ¶2. Background: The Department has a direct Government-to-Government Communications Link (GGCL) with Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in Kyiv. This link has been in place since 1994 and serves as a method for the Department, through the U.S. Nuclear Risk Reduction Center and the Verification Center of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, to exchange arms control notifications required under the START and INF treaties. This is an older, relatively slow 4.8 kbs link; the Bureau of Information Resources Management (IRM) has been in negotiation with Ukrainian officials for several years to replace it with a new digital circuit at the more modern 64kbs level. The current link has been non-functional since August 24. IRM technical staff have been working with international carriers and the Ukrainian MOD to restore this circuit to operations without success. In order to exchange necessary arms control treaty information, Embassy Pol-Econ and Embassy DTRO-K have delivered START notifications to representatives of the MOD Verification Center; their work is much appreciated by the Department and the START Interagency. In order to help resolve this ongoing outage situation, Embassy is requested to pass the diplomatic note at para 3 to appropriate host government officials at both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Embassy is requested to confirm delivery of the points, the name and office of the official to whom they were delivered, the date of delivery, and any comment or reaction provided at that time. ¶3. Text of diplomatic note: Complimentary Opening. The Government-to-Government Communications Link (GGCL) between the Department of State,s Nuclear Risk Reduction Center and the Verification Center of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in Kyiv, is the primary and most effective mechanism used to exchange the arms control notifications required under the START and INF treaties. The GGCL forms a vital link for arms control treaty communications between our governments, and has been in place since 1994. Unfortunately this data channel has been inoperable since August 24, 2009. Treaty-required notifications have continued to be conveyed through the United States Embassy in Kyiv to the Ministry of Defense Verification Center, at mutually-agreed intervals. The United States of America wishes to convey growing concern over the continued outage of the GGCL. Technicians and engineers from both Ukraine and the United States have spent many hours attempting to restore this unique communications link, without success. Department of State technicians and Ukrainian commercial service providers have successfully tested the entire circuit path from Washington to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's service provider, but have been unable to test beyond that point. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense engineers must complete successful tests within their facility and to their Earth Station. Because we have tested each section of the circuit pathway from Washington to the Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, it appears likely that the problem exists between the Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian service provider. Given the significance of this data communications link, we encourage Ukraine to address this issue at the earliest possible opportunity. The United States stands ready to offer further technical assistance and advice if required. Complimentary closing. ¶4. The POC s at the Department are IRM/OPS/MSO/SMO Danny Branch, telephone (202) 647-7884, and Wayne Payton (202) 747-7779, EUR/UMB, Elizabeth Zentos (202-647-6799),VCI/NRRC, Ned Williams (202-647-0027). Post support is greatly appreciated. CLINTON