SFO-VI GUIDANCE-001: INSTRUCTIONS FOR U.S.

S E C R E T STATE 097474 SIPDIS, GENEVA FOR JCIC C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CORRECTED SUBJECT) E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 TAGS: KACT KTIA PARM START JCIC US RS SUBJECT: SFO-VI GUIDANCE-001: INSTRUCTIONS FOR U.S. DELEGATION TO U.S./RUSSIA NEGOTIATIONS ON START FOLLOW-ON TREATY, GENEVA SWITZERLAND, BEGINNING ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 REF: A. STATE 078776 (SFO-GVA-III-003) ¶B. STATE 96638 (SFO-DIP-09-007) ¶C. STATE 95967 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(1 OF 8) ¶D. STATE 93978 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(2 OF 8) ¶E. STATE 95987 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(3 OF 8) ¶F. STATE 95991 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(4 OF 8) ¶G. STATE 96003 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(5 OF 8) ¶H. STATE 96008 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(6 OF 8) ¶I. STATE 96009 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(7 OF 8) ¶J. STATE 96010 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY IP ANNEXES)(8 OF 8) ¶K. STATE 95881 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY TELEMETRY PROTOCOL)(1 OF 2) ¶L. STATE 93938 (DRAFT NEW START TREATY TELEMETRY PROTOCOL)(2 OF2) ¶M. GENEVA 00745 (SFO-GVA-IV-011) ¶N. MOSCOW 02388 ¶O. GENEVA 00616 (SFO-GVA-III-001) ¶P. GENEVA 00617 (SFO-GVA-III-002) ¶Q. STATE 94665 (SFO-GVA-IV-005) ¶R. STATE 94677 (SFO-GVA-IV-008) ¶S. GENEVA 00744 (SFO-GVA-IV-013) Classified By: Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary, VCI. Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Assistant Secretary for Verification, Compliance, and Implementation Rose Gottemoeller will head the U.S. delegation to the sixth round of START Follow-on treaty negotiations with Russia beginning in Geneva, Switzerland on September 21, 2009. -------------- SCHEDULE AND ORGANIZATION -------------- ¶2. (S) BACKGROUND: The U.S. and Russian delegations have agreed to meet in Geneva beginning on September 21, 2009 to continue work on a START Follow-on treaty, and have agreed to establish working groups modeled on those used during the START negotiations (Ref A). The U.S. delegation has proposed a continuous negotiation in Geneva from September 21 through November 20; however, the Russian Head of Delegation, Russian MFA Director of Security and Disarmament Affairs Anatoliy Antonov, has expressed a preference for alternating between two-week negotiating sessions in Geneva and two weeks in capitals so each side can prepare for the next negotiating round, as well as conduct other professional duties. ¶3. (S) In Ref A, the U.S. proposed a "stocktaking" at the mid-way point on October 20 to identify which issues may need to be referred for higher-level review and decision. In Ref B, the U.S. further proposed that the Heads of Delegation and a small group of Delegation Members convene in Moscow on October 11-15, 2009, in advance of and during the meeting of the U.S. and Russian Foreign Ministers in Moscow on October 13-14. This would provide an opportunity to make further progress and to raise to the Foreign Ministers any issues identified during the negotiations that require higher level resolution. The Heads of Delegation and the Delegation Members would then return to Geneva to resume their work. Under the U.S. concept, delegation advisors from both sides would remain in Geneva throughout this period to continue their work. The goal remains to have the treaty ready for signature on or about December 1, 2009. -------------- -------------- U.S. DRAFT TEXTS, RUSSIAN DRAFT TREATY, AND A JDT -------------- -------------- ¶4. (S) BACKGROUND AND GUIDANCE: The U.S.-proposed draft texts of the Treaty, the Definitions Annex and the Inspection Protocol were provided to the Russian side and discussed during the negotiating session in Geneva August 31-September 3, 2009. The U.S.-proposed draft texts of the Inspection Protocol Annexes (Refs C-J) and the Telemetry Protocol and Annexes (Refs K-L) were provided to the Russian MFA on September 17, 2009. The U.S.-proposed texts of the Elimination Protocol and the Notifications Protocol, and a non-paper on the MOU Protocol, will be sent in separate guidance to the Delegation. Delegation should introduce and explain the texts of the new documents to the Russian side, encourage Russian questions and reactions to the U.S. texts, and seek to identify areas of agreement and disagreement. ¶5. (S) During the August 31-September 3, 2009 session in Geneva, the Russian delegation provided its proposed treaty text on: establishment of a data base; definitions annex; prohibitions; national technical means; confidence-building measures; and the Bilateral Consultative Commission (Ref M). On September 16, 2009, Russia delivered to the U.S. embassy in Moscow a Russian language version of its proposed draft "Treaty Between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms" (Ref N). Delegation should analyze the Russian proposal and seek clarifications and explanations as needed to fully understand and assess the Russian proposal. ¶6. (S) Delegation should seek Russian agreement and commence work on developing a joint draft text (JDT) expeditiously to advance the negotiations, achieve mutually agreeable text where possible, and to identify the substantive differences that will require further discussion and negotiation. Delegation should make as its first priority producing a JDT for the Treaty Text, but should also advance work on producing JDTs for all the other associated protocols and annexes to the extent possible. In this connection, Washington notes that JDTs for both the Preamble and the Final Provisions of the Treaty Text have already been developed by the Delegation and presented to the Russian side. Delegation may continue to draw from previous guidance and U.S. nonpapers, and the July Moscow Summit Documents, including the July 6, 2009 Joint Understanding, to discuss and explain U.S. views relating to a START follow-on treaty. Delegation should seek further guidance from Washington as necessary to advance work on the JDTs and to resolve differences between the sides' negotiating positions. -------------- -------------- RUSSIAN PAPERS PROVIDED ON JULY 22-23 and SEPTEMBER 2 -------------- -------------- ¶7. (S) BACKGROUND AND GUIDANCE: During meetings on July 22-23, 2009 (Refs O and P),and on September 2, 2009 (Ref Q),Russia provided several papers with its positions on key issues. Delegation is authorized to discuss and seek agreement on the issues raised in these papers as provided in previous guidance and in the additional guidance in paras 8-9 below. -------------- PROPOSED UNGA RESOLUTION -------------- ¶8. (S) GUIDANCE: Regarding the Russian-proposed paper "On a Draft Resolution 'Bilateral Reductions in Strategic Nuclear Arms and the New Framework for Strategic Relations'," dated July 23, 2009 (Ref O para 18),and the Russian draft text provided on September 2, 2009 (Ref. R), Delegation should reiterate that Washington believes it would be unwise to table such a resolution while the negotiations on a replacement for START are still underway, and that the U.S. preference is to table a joint resolution in the UNGA Plenary once these negotiations have been concluded successfully. -------------- PROPOSED JOINT UNDERSTANDING REGARDING BELARUS, KAZAKHSTAN, AND UKRAINE -------------- ¶9. (S) GUIDANCE: Washington is continuing to consider the Russian paper "On a Draft Joint Statement in Connection with the Expiration of the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms," dated July 23, 2009 (Ref A para 21),the text Russia provided on September 2, 2009 (Ref S),and the discussion of the issue reported in Ref Q. Delegation is authorized to indicate that the United States supports the idea of issuing a joint statement either bilaterally or by the five START Parties in connection with the START Treaty's expiration. Delegation should further state that it will be important to consult the other parties regarding both the content and the timing of the statement. Delegation is authorized to work with the Russian delegation on a joint draft text of this statement ad ref to Washington. -------------- If Raised: Missile Defense Decision -------------- ¶10. (S) Background and Guidance: On September 17, 2009, President Obama announced his decision regarding a U.S. European-based ballistic missile defense architecture. If raised by the Russian side, Delegation should note that explanations of the President's decisions regarding a European missile defense architecture are being given through other channels. Delegation should point out that the President's statement and fact sheets available on the hite House website further explain the President's decision. -------------- Previous Guidance -------------- ¶11. (S) Unless otherwise modified or superseded, previous guidance remains in effect. End guidance. CLINTON