NATO-RUSSIA: LAVROV SAYS NO TO AN AGREED DOCUMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000277

NOFORN
SIPDIS

OPS CENTER: PLEASE PASS TO D STAFF AND THE TRAVELING PARTY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019
TAGS: PREL NATO RS
SUBJECT: NATO-RUSSIA: LAVROV SAYS NO TO AN AGREED DOCUMENT
AT CORFU

REF: SG(2009)0571

Classified By: A/POLAD A. "Hoot" Baez. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: In a letter to NATO Secretary General de
Hoop Scheffer, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that he
did not anticipate the adoption a joint document at the June
27 NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Ministerial in Corfu.
Consistent with Lavrov's letter, the Russian Mission on June
26 killed efforts to have an NRC "way forward" document as a
key deliverable in Corfu. The Mission also said that Russia
would not accept NATO's invitation to participate in
Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean. While it
does appear resumption of military-to-military cooperation
will be agreed in principle in Corfu, important details will
have to be finalized later. Lavrov also used his letter to
continue Moscow's tradition of "cherry picking" from agreed
documents, citing and twisting out of context certain agreed
principles while ignoring others. END SUMMARY


2. (SBU) On June 26, NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer
distributed to Allies a letter he received from Russian
Foreign Minister Lavrov regarding the June 27 NATO-Russia
Council (NRC) Ministerial in Corfu. (see para 5 below) In
the letter, Lavrov said that he did not foresee the adoption
of joint documents in Corfu and argued that a "full-fledged
reset" of the NRC will require "regaining trust." Lavrov
also stressed that he saw the meeting as an opportunity to
confirm NRC member states' commitment to the principles upon
which the NATO-Russia relationship was founded, arguing that
the following principles should take priority: indivisibility
of security, fulfillment of obligations under international
law and political guarantees of military restraint.

Russian Actions Consistent with Letter; Few Deliverables
-------------- --------------


3. (C/NF) Consistent with the letter, Russia refused in the
June 26 meeting of the NRC Preparatory Committee to agree an
NRC "way forward" document which many Allies had hoped would
be a key ministerial deliverable, although work on the
document will continue after the ministerial. The Russian
Mission also announced that Moscow was not in a position to
respond positively to NATO's invitation for a Russian vessel
to participate in Operation Active Endeavor, NATO's modest
Article 5 counterterrorist operation in the Mediterranean
Sea. It does appear, however, that there will be an
agreement in principle at the ministerial to restart
military-to-military cooperation, although political guidance
setting out the exact framework within which such cooperation
will take place will likely have to be defined later.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C/NF) Lavrov's letter continues Moscow's tradition of
"cherry picking" parts of agreed documents it likes, while
ignoring the rest. Both publicly and privately, for example,
Russia stresses the inclusion of the reference to the
"indivisibility of security," twisting the phrase to argue
that NATO's actions--including enlargement--should not be
taken at the expense of Russian security interests. It
ignores, however, the principle enshrined in the Founding Act
that all NATO-Russia member states will respect "the inherent
right" of all states "to choose the means to ensure their own
security." Through its assertion of a sphere of privileged
interests, Russia also disregards the Founding Act's call for
a Europe "without dividing lines or spheres of influence
limiting the sovereignty of any state."

TEXT OF THE LAVROV LETTER
--------------


5. (SBU) An unofficial translation of the Lavrov letter is
reproduced below:


Moscow, "22" June 2009

USNATO 00000277 002 OF 002




Dear Mr. Secretary General,

Hereby I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated June 11,
2009 by which as Chairman of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC)
you invite me to take part in the Council session at the
level of ministers of foreign affairs on the island of Corfu
on June 27, 2009.

I will take part in this meeting. I assume that the upcoming
NRC will be informal, which does not suppose a fixed agenda
or adopting a joint document.

I agree with you that it is necessary to confirm commitment
to the principles contained in NATO-Russia Founding Act on
Mutual Relations, Co-operation and Security between the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Russian
Federation of May 27, 1997 and the Rome Declaration "NATO -
Russia Relations: A New Quality" of May 28, 2002, which all
the NRC member-states should rigorously adhere to. The
following principles stated in The Founding Act take
priority: indivisibility of security for all the states in
the Euroatlantic region, fulfillment of obligations under
international law and political guarantees of military
restraint.

Secretary-General, the forthcoming meeting will be a good
opportunity to frankly discuss with my colleagues how to
restore normal functioning of the Council together, so that
it works "in all weathers", (sic) without failures. It would
be useful to exchange views on concrete steps, which ought to
be taken to maintain sustainable political dialogue between
Russia and NATO. It is that over the past year NATO-Russia
cooperation has suffered, perhaps, the most acute crisis in
the entire history of our engagement. Therefore, it would
make sense to learn the lessons for the future. A
full-fledged reset of the Council's work, including political
dialogue and practical cooperation, requires regaining trust
between us on the basis of due account of mutual interests
and concerns, ensuring equality in the dialogue.

Sincerely yours,

//s//

Sergey Lavrov

END TEXT
DAALDER