NATO-RUSSIA: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000557 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO RS SUBJECT: NATO-RUSSIA: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN REF: A. USNATO 526 ¶B. USNATO 523 Classified By: Ambassador Ivo Daalder for reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Summary: During a November 25 NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Ambassadorial meeting, NATO Allies and the Secretary General expressed their frustration with the Russian decision to end work on the reform document "Taking the NRC Forward," and reminded Russian Ambassador Rogozin that this was part of a package of deliverables expected for the December 4 Ministerial. Rogozin claimed to never have heard of a "package" of deliverables, and proposed that the NRC be tasked again, formally this time, to work on reform. Ambassador Daalder reminded Rogozin that he had been present at a meeting when 28 NRC members agreed there was a package for the Ministerial, and criticized Russia for backing out of "Taking the NRC Forward" for a second time. Germany questioned Russian intentions in engaging in negotiations on the document for months, only to back out, and Canada acknowledged there may well be no deliverables for the Ministerial. Following a tasking from the SecGen, the NRC Preparatory Committee, including Russia, spent November 26-27 attempting to reach consensus on "Taking the NRC Forward," only to learn, once again, that Russia never had any intention of agreeing to the document in time for the Ministerial. End summary. SecGen Questions Russian Commitments -------------- ¶2. (C) During a November 25 NRC Ambassadorial meeting, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen said that he was disappointed in recent developments in the NRC that suggested there would be no deliverables for the December 4 Ministerial. He thought the decision by "one NRC member" to back out of work on the reform document "Taking the NRC Forward" called into question mutual commitments made at the June Ministerial to re-launch the NRC after it was disrupted by the Georgia war (ref A). The SecGen reminded the Ambassadors that there was a package of three deliverables for the upcoming Ministerial, and implored the NRC to continue working on "Taking the NRC Forward" and the related documents, the tasking for a Joint Review of Common Challenges and the NRC Work Plan for 2010. Rogozin: "I am not a postman." -------------- ¶3. (C) Russian Ambassador Rogozin claimed that this was the first he had heard of a "package" of deliverables for the Ministerial, then quipped "I am not a postman." He said that Russia supported the goal of NRC reform, but had a considerably different opinion on how to accomplish this than Allies. He proposed that at their upcoming meeting, Foreign Ministers task the NRC to undertake organizational restructuring, falling back on the Russian claim that there had been no official tasking to work on "Taking the NRC Forward" at the June Ministerial. The PrepCom could then work on this initiative for the next several months, reporting to Ministers in Spring 2010. Rogozin made clear that Russia saw the Joint Review tasking as the most significant potential deliverable for the Ministerial, as this document initiative would help define "real priorities" in the NATO-Russia relationship. Groundhog Day -------------- ¶4. (C) Ambassador Daalder reminded Rogozin that he had been present at the November 11 NRC Ambassadorial meeting at which 28 PermReps made it clear they supported a package of three deliverables (ref B). (Note: The SecGen also reminded Rogozin about the package of deliverables at a private meeting on November 24. End note.) He expressed deep disappointment in the Russian position, which marked the second time Russia had backed out of "Taking the NRC Forward." The Ambassador likened Russia's repeat performance to the film "Groundhog Day," in which the NRC experienced "just another version of the same old story." He observed that since the NRC had already agreed upon specific areas of cooperation it should be able to agree upon a new structure in the next few days, not months, as Russia wanted. USNATO 00000557 002 OF 002 ¶5. (C) Allies expressed similar reactions to the Russian decision to unilaterally end work on NRC reform, and were unified in saying that work must continue: -- Germany said it did not understand the negotiating tactics of Russia, which had taken part in regular meetings on NRC reform for the past several months. Hitting a "reset" in relations did not mean starting work all over again on NRC reform. -- Canada said it was prepared for a December Ministerial with no deliverables, which was preferable to perpetuating the image of the NRC being "process with no outcome." -- Latvia agreed with the Canadian position, and asked how the current situation would affect the SecGen's planned visit to Moscow a week after the December Ministerial. -- Norway complained that Russia demonstrated an unwillingness to recognize the purpose of NRC reform, which was intended to make the organization more capable of tackling issues as they arose. -- Italy assured Russia that reform was not a way to downsize the NRC, but was intended instead to make it a better instrument. -- Hungary stressed that if the NRC had the will, it could still reach agreement on "Taking the NRC Forward" in the next few days. If not, the organization would have moved back to where it was before the June Ministerial. SecGen Tasks the PrepCom -------------- ¶6. (C) The SecGen concluded that the NRC was close to agreement on the Joint Review tasking and the 2010 Work Plan, but the Russian position on "Taking the NRC Forward" put the whole package "at risk." He observed that there was consensus on the need to make structural changes to the NRC, and tasked the PrepCom to devote the next two days to attempting to reach agreement on "Taking the NRC Forward." If it could not do so by COB on Friday, November 27, the SecGen said that he would then issue his own proposal on NRC reform for Ambassadorial approval. Deja Vu All Over Again -------------- ¶7. (C) Allies were pleased to find Russia flexible in ensuing negotiations on "Taking the NRC Forward" in the PrepCom on November 26-27, only to learn that Russia had engaged in the exercise with no intention of approving the document in time for the Ministerial. Instead, Russia wanted the NRC to continue working on this initiative after the December 4 meeting. The Russian DCM reiterated his challenge in getting the GOR interagency to approve the project, citing difficulties with the MOD. Several Allies expressed frustration with the Russian Mission's inability to speak for the GOR, and for entering into negotiations in bad faith. The Russian DCM told us privately that he still thought it possible that Rogozin could convince Moscow to accept "Taking the NRC Forward," but advised us to be prepared for a negative response. DAALDER