Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USOSCE220
2009-10-14 16:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Mission USOSCE
Cable title:  

CFE/JCG OCT 13: RUSSIA RAISES MORE POINTS FROM

Tags:  KCFE OSCE PARM PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVEN #0220/01 2871608
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141608Z OCT 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6629
INFO RUCNCFE/CONVENTIONAL ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC//OSAE
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-DDPMA-IN/CAC/DDPMA-E//
RUEAHQA/HQ USAF WASHINGTON DC//XONP//
UNCLAS USOSCE 000220 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/RPM
NSC FOR FRIEDT, HAYDEN
JCS FOR J5 NORWOOD, COL SMITH
OSD FOR ISA (KEHL, WALLENDER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCFE OSCE PARM PREL
SUBJECT: CFE/JCG OCT 13: RUSSIA RAISES MORE POINTS FROM
AIDE-MEMOIRE

Sensitive but Unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not
for Internet.
UNCLAS USOSCE 000220

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR VCI/CCA, EUR/RPM
NSC FOR FRIEDT, HAYDEN
JCS FOR J5 NORWOOD, COL SMITH
OSD FOR ISA (KEHL, WALLENDER)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCFE OSCE PARM PREL
SUBJECT: CFE/JCG OCT 13: RUSSIA RAISES MORE POINTS FROM
AIDE-MEMOIRE

Sensitive but Unclassified; please protect accordingly. Not
for Internet.

1. (SBU) Summary: At the October 13 Joint Consultative Group
(JCG) plenary, Russia offered familiar comments on paragraphs
10, 11, and 12 of its aide-memoire of 5 May 2009, &Restoring
the Viability of the CFE Treaty: A Way Forward.8 The U.S.
replied that discussions on the Parallel Actions Package are
being held elsewhere and efforts to duplicate those
discussions in Vienna would not help resolve the impasse.
Canada, on behalf of the NATO Allies, read a joint statement
regretting Russia's failure to provide data on its forces at
Kushchevskaya as of 1 October. Poland reported that Russia
rejected another CFE inspection request and was backed by
supporting statements by 11 other delegations. End Summary.
Russia Continues Views on Aide-memoire

2. (SBU) At the October 13 JCG Plenary, the Russian
Federation (Ulyanov) continued discussion of its 5 May
aide-memoire, covering paragraphs 10, 11, and 12. Paragraph
10 suggests that once the package solution is agreed upon, it
should be adopted as the Final Document at another
Extraordinary Conference. Russia believes such a meeting
appropriate for Ministers, but is flexible to the desires of
all States Parties.

3. (SBU) With respect to Para 11 of the aide-memoire, Russia
said the subject of when it should resume implementation of
the Treaty was an important subject, and extensively debated
within the relevant ministries in Moscow. Russia knows it is
important to partners that it resume implementation as soon
as possible. Thus, as a gesture of goodwill, Russia decided
it could resume implementation subject to an agreement to
provisionally apply A/CFE.

4. (SBU) Russia is also ready to enter into some transparency
measures, perhaps on a bilateral basis. These would be basic
transparency measures, voluntary and reciprocal in nature.
Such measures could be applied in the time proceeding
provisional application of the Treaty. Russia will go into
more specifics after the other elements of the package are
agreed. It is too early to go into detail.

5. (SBU) Regarding paragraph 12, Russia believes extensive

consultations are needed in order to arrive at the package
solution. For example, modalities for the accession of the
three Baltic states, Slovenia, Croatia, and Albania could
take months of work. Achieving the final package cannot be
done without them.

6. (SBU) Russia reaffirms its readiness to intensify
negotiations and to avail itself of all possible venues -
through Vienna and the Moscow/Washington channels. We should
re-double our efforts. If partners are not willing to
engage, then Russia will have to continue its moratorium.
Partners should be under no illusions that Russia will come
back to the old CFE Treaty. Partners would be better served
by taking up our generous offer to work on the package,
rather than continuing to complain about inspections that
cannot take place under Russian Federal law. Russia is ready
to be vigorously engaged.
U.S. Repeats Warning on Duplicating Bilat Talks

7. (SBU) The U.S. (Neighbour) reminded Russia that its
aide-memoire has been examined carefully by Washington and
other States Parties. The U.S. is pleased that Russia
supports a package approach, and confirmed that we are
actively working towards the conditions necessary for A/CFE.
The U.S. reiterated that efforts to work on the package in
the JCG will not help move forward from the current impasse.
Allies Mark Lack of Russian Data on Kushchevskaya

8. (SBU) Canada, on behalf of the NATO Allies, read a joint
statement regretting Russia's failure to provide data on its
forces at Kushchevskaya as of 1 October in accordance with
the provisions of paragraph 1, Section V, of Annex A to the
Final Document of the First Review Conference (see Journal).
At the Review Conference, Russia undertook to provide
additional data on its forces at Kushchevskaya every three
months after the initial information exchange. This
quarterly information is of great value to Russia's treaty
partners. The joint statement called on Russia to resume
full implementation without further delay. Russia did not
respond to this statement.
Poland Announces Russian Inspection Rejection


9. (SBU) Poland made a statement regretting Russia's
rejection of a CFE Section VII inspection request for the
week of 12 October (see Journal). Many Allies supported the
Polish statement, including the UK, France, Czech Republic,
Portugal, Germany, Denmark, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and
Italy. U.S. rep (Neighbour) emphasized the importance for
all States Parties to observe all rights and obligations
arising out of the CFE Treaty. He noted Russia's continued
non-compliance makes it all the more difficult to achieve
entry into force of the A/CFE Treaty (see Journal).


10. (SBU) Ulyanov said normally there is no point in
repeating the same response, but today he wanted to stress
that in only two months time we will be at the two-year mark
of Russia's moratorium. There is real risk that the regime
has eroded, verification centers have a reduced mission, and
there is a deterioration of interest. However, those in
charge of policy have not expressed much urgency with the
situation. There is need for all to be more active in
finding a solution.


11. (SBU) The next JCG will be held on 20 October under
Denmark's chairmanship. Russia did not preview plans for any
further interventions. Separately, Ulyanov told the U.S. he
had no further interventions planned an, in essence, for the
time being had left nothing to say in the JCG.
Fuller