Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USNATO216
2009-05-28 18:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Mission USNATO
Cable title:
NATO-RUSSIA: CONSENSUS EMERGING FOR NRC
how-toVZCZCXRO5211 OO RUEHDBU DE RUEHNO #0216 1481844 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 281844Z MAY 09 FM USMISSION USNATO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3007 INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV IMMEDIATE 0222 RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 6382 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 5770 RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/USNMR SHAPE BE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000216
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2017
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS GG RS UP
SUBJECT: NATO-RUSSIA: CONSENSUS EMERGING FOR NRC
MINISTERIAL IN JUNE
REF: USNATO 191
Classified By: DCM John Heffern for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000216
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2017
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS GG RS UP
SUBJECT: NATO-RUSSIA: CONSENSUS EMERGING FOR NRC
MINISTERIAL IN JUNE
REF: USNATO 191
Classified By: DCM John Heffern for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C/NF) In the May 27 NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meeting,
Russian Ambassador Rogozin chided Allies for playing
political games with the proposed date of the NRC Foreign
Ministerial meeting. Rogozin groused that Russian Foreign
Minister Lavrov agreed to NATO's proposed May 19 date for the
Ministerial, only to have the date withdrawn because
"Secretary Clinton had to meet with the Israelis." DCM
Heffern pushed back, explaining that scheduling issues had
prevented the U.S. from agreeing with the May 19 date, adding
there was no intended political signal. He said the U.S.
supports holding the NRC Foreign Ministerial before the
summer break (i.e., in June). In a second intervention, an
assuaged Rogozin equivocated and seemed open to a NRC FM
meeting in June. (NOTE: This is a change in the Russian
position. The Russian mission indefinitely postponed the NRC
FM meeting in response to the April 29 NATO expulsion of two
Russian diplomats for espionage (reftel). END NOTE.) A
number of Allies, including Germany, Italy, and France,
voiced strong support for holding the FM meeting before the
summer break.
2. (C/NF) Rogozin said unequivocally that NATO-Russia
military cooperation could not resume until after Foreign
Ministers had met and provided political guidance for such
cooperation. UK Charge Flaherty asked how this logic would
affect possible Russian participation in a NATO June 11-12
Defense Ministerial meeting. Without directly responding to
the question, Rogozin said the NRC Foreign Ministerial was
the first step in NRC re-engagement. After the meeting, the
NATO International Staff said it was dropping a notional NRC
meeting from the Defense Ministerial agenda due to Rogozin's
intervention.
3. (C/NF) In a May 28 informal Ambassadorial meeting, several
Allies lamented the optics of holding an important NATO
meeting on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial in Corfu.
There was widespread agreement, however, that it was
important to offer Russia a date for the NRC FM meeting early
this summer. A solid consensus is emerging for an NRC FM
meeting in June.
DAALDER
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2017
TAGS: NATO PREL MOPS GG RS UP
SUBJECT: NATO-RUSSIA: CONSENSUS EMERGING FOR NRC
MINISTERIAL IN JUNE
REF: USNATO 191
Classified By: DCM John Heffern for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C/NF) In the May 27 NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meeting,
Russian Ambassador Rogozin chided Allies for playing
political games with the proposed date of the NRC Foreign
Ministerial meeting. Rogozin groused that Russian Foreign
Minister Lavrov agreed to NATO's proposed May 19 date for the
Ministerial, only to have the date withdrawn because
"Secretary Clinton had to meet with the Israelis." DCM
Heffern pushed back, explaining that scheduling issues had
prevented the U.S. from agreeing with the May 19 date, adding
there was no intended political signal. He said the U.S.
supports holding the NRC Foreign Ministerial before the
summer break (i.e., in June). In a second intervention, an
assuaged Rogozin equivocated and seemed open to a NRC FM
meeting in June. (NOTE: This is a change in the Russian
position. The Russian mission indefinitely postponed the NRC
FM meeting in response to the April 29 NATO expulsion of two
Russian diplomats for espionage (reftel). END NOTE.) A
number of Allies, including Germany, Italy, and France,
voiced strong support for holding the FM meeting before the
summer break.
2. (C/NF) Rogozin said unequivocally that NATO-Russia
military cooperation could not resume until after Foreign
Ministers had met and provided political guidance for such
cooperation. UK Charge Flaherty asked how this logic would
affect possible Russian participation in a NATO June 11-12
Defense Ministerial meeting. Without directly responding to
the question, Rogozin said the NRC Foreign Ministerial was
the first step in NRC re-engagement. After the meeting, the
NATO International Staff said it was dropping a notional NRC
meeting from the Defense Ministerial agenda due to Rogozin's
intervention.
3. (C/NF) In a May 28 informal Ambassadorial meeting, several
Allies lamented the optics of holding an important NATO
meeting on the margins of the OSCE Ministerial in Corfu.
There was widespread agreement, however, that it was
important to offer Russia a date for the NRC FM meeting early
this summer. A solid consensus is emerging for an NRC FM
meeting in June.
DAALDER