Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USOSCE263
2009-11-25 15:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Mission USOSCE
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG: OSCE

Tags:  OSCE RU PREL 
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DE RUEHVEN #0263/01 3291513
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251513Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6730
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000263 

SIPDIS

FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG FROM CHARG CAROL FULLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2019
TAGS: OSCE RU PREL
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG: OSCE
MINISTERIAL IN ATHENS

Classified By: CDA Carol Fuller Reasons: 1.4, (B),(C),and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000263

SIPDIS

FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG FROM CHARG CAROL FULLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2019
TAGS: OSCE RU PREL
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG: OSCE
MINISTERIAL IN ATHENS

Classified By: CDA Carol Fuller Reasons: 1.4, (B),(C),and (D)


1. (C) We look forward to seeing you at the OSCE Ministerial
Council meeting in Athens. Your participation will help
signal U.S. support for a revitalized OSCE and allow us to
call for greater emphasis on democracy, human rights, and
fundamental freedoms. Your participation will also help
cement the OSCE as the most appropriate forum for the
Russian-inspired dialogue on European security ) the
so-called Corfu Process ) and help facilitate agreement on a
means of continuing the dialogue through Kazakhstan,s 2010
OSCE Chairmanship. Reaching such agreement and deflecting
Kazakhstan,s proposal for a high-level meeting on European
security are key goals for the Ministerial. Additionally, we
hope you will be able to advance Minsk Group objectives on
Nagorno-Karabakh.


2. (C) While we do not expect to reach consensus on an
overarching political declaration ) not least owing to
continuing serious differences with Russia over Georgia, the
CFE Treaty, and other issues ) we can use the Ministerial to
further our policy goals and to underscore and reaffirm the
commitments that underpin European security. We should seek
to reaffirm the principles and commitments enshrined in the
1975 Helsinki Final Act and subsequent OSCE documents. In
addition, we should emphasize the need to strengthen the
OSCE,s capacity to exercise its core crisis prevention and
conflict resolution mandate.

SIGNALING SUPPORT FOR THE OSCE AND ITS HUMAN DIMENSION
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Many participating States have expressed appreciation
for renewed U.S. engagement in the OSCE under the new
Administration, and look to the United States to lead the
organization. One of our principal objectives for the
Ministerial is to confirm U.S. support for the OSCE and its
uniquely comprehensive concept of security, which encompasses
not only traditional political-military matters, but also the
economic/environmental and human dimensions of security. We
believe the latter is critical to ensuring long-term
security, and want to use a revitalized OSCE as a stronger
platform for the promotion and defense of democracy, human

rights, and fundamental freedoms across Europe and Eurasia.
Your intervention at the Ministerial will provide an
opportunity to call for greater emphasis on these issues, and
underscore their continued importance as an indispensable
element of security in today,s world.
STEERING DISCUSSIONS ON EUROPEAN SECURITY
--------------


4. (C) We should use the Ministerial to cement the OSCE as
the most appropriate forum for an ongoing dialogue on
European security, and highlight the organization,s
potential role in conflict prevention and resolution. The
so-called Corfu Process, initiated at an informal OSCE
Ministerial on the Greek island of Corfu in June 2009 as a
response to Russian President Medvedev,s proposal for a new
European security treaty, has encompassed discussions on the
status and future of European security, conducted in Vienna
through regular informal PermRep meetings. Backed by an
overwhelming majority of OSCE participating States, we have
insisted that any discussions on European security should be
concentrated in the OSCE ) as the most inclusive security
organization in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian area ) and
resisted Russian attempts to create parallel tracks in other
forums. We have also used the Corfu Process to stress the
importance of the human and economic/environmental dimensions
of security, despite Russia,s obvious preference for an
exclusive focus on military matters.


5. (C) Russia clearly wishes to use President Medvedev,s
proposal for a European security treaty to shift attention to
traditional hard security matters, block continued NATO
enlargement, and preserve a sphere of influence in its
neighborhood. To counter this, we must emphasize the
multi-dimensional nature of security and recall the right of
sovereign states to determine their own security
arrangements. We should use the Ministerial to highlight our
belief that for any European security regime to be
successful, it must be based on shared principles and values,
including territorial integrity and respect for human rights.
The principles Russia professes to espouse ) such as the
peaceful resolution of conflict and the indivisibility of
security ) are clearly inconsistent with its &suspension8
of CFE Treaty implementation and its August 2008 incursion
into Georgia.


USOSCE 00000263 002 OF 003



6. (C) In our Corfu Process discussions in Vienna, we and our
allies have argued that the war in Georgia highlighted
continuing threats to security and stability in the OSCE
region, and demonstrated that the organization,s capacity
for early action must be strengthened. We have also argued
that we must improve the OSCE,s ability to prevent and
resolve conflict. Our goal is to use the Ministerial to
highlight the OSCE,s potential in this area, to urge the
exploration of additional confidence-building and conflict
resolution measures, and to outline our vision of
strengthening European security by building on already
existing institutions such as the OSCE.


7. (C) Reaching agreement on a means of continuing the Corfu
Process through Kazakhstan,s 2010 OSCE Chairmanship is a key
objective for the Ministerial. We expect negotiations on a
declaration and decision related to the process not only to
dominate preparations for the meeting, but also to dominate
discussions in Athens. We believe the Corfu Process should
continue in a similar format in 2010, with in-depth
discussions on key topics identified as requiring more work,
such as human rights, fundamental freedoms, and democracy;
conflict prevention and resolution; arms control and CSBMs;
transnational threats and cross-dimensional challenges; the
need for fuller implementation of existing OSCE commitments;
and ways to create, upgrade, or make better use of existing
OSCE mechanisms and instruments across the OSCE,s
political-military, economic/environmental, and human
dimensions. We also believe informal meetings in Vienna
should involve a wider range of participants, including from
capitals, international organizations, and civil society.
Discussions in 2010 need to lead to concrete proposals for
strengthening European security.


8. (C) We do not believe, however, that discussions thus far
warrant a decision at the Athens Ministerial on a high-level
meeting on European security under Kazakhstan,s OSCE
Chairmanship. However, a growing number of delegations
believe that a Summit would help reaffirm the importance of
the OSCE and are therefore prepared to agree in Athens to a
potential Summit. You will want to deflect any attempts by
Kazakhstan or other participating States to secure consensus
in Athens on the idea of holding an OSCE Summit in 2010 on
this issue. While we are open to a high-level conference at
some point on an issue such as Afghanistan ) especially if
Kazakhstan can persuade Russia to allow OSCE border
assistance activities inside northern Afghanistan ) a
decision at this time would be premature. We should urge
participating States to focus on the substance of the
dialogue and avoid rushing to conclusions or decisions.

ADVANCING MINSK GROUP OBJECTIVES ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH
-------------- --------------


9. (C) We will also seek to use your attendance at the
Ministerial as leverage in negotiating, before your arrival,
a strong statement on Nagorno-Karabakh. We hope this
statement will help reassure the Turks that we are making
progress towards a settlement of the conflict and provide
cover for them in their parliamentary debate on the
Turkish-Armenian protocols. Your participation in the
meeting with the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
) which regularly takes place at OSCE Ministerials ) will
also show the United States and Russia working seamlessly
together in the Minsk Group, and serve as an example of the
kind of cooperation we would like to see in other areas of
the OSCE,s work.

Other Issues
--------------


10. (SBU) With all the energy concentrated on these big
ticket issues, negotiations on major decisions have lagged
behind. Moreover, Russia has played a destructive game in
obstructing almost every proposed decision. Nevertheless, we
expect there may be some key Ministerial Decisions on:

-- Further OSCE Efforts to Address Transnational Threats and
Challenges to Security and Stability (co-sponsored by the
United States and Russia) ) This is a strategic decision
that sends an important signal about U.S.-Russian cooperation
in this key area.

-- Further Measures to Support and Promote the International
Legal Framework against Terrorism ) This mainly technical
decision helps us realize the potential of the OSCE to
encourage adherence to these UN instruments.


USOSCE 00000263 003 OF 003



-- Strengthening Dialogue and Co-operation on Energy Security
in the OSCE Area ) The United States is one of the main
backers of this decision, which would mandate political
dialogue on energy security issues and allow further
exploration of an OSCE role in this area. Unfortunately,
consensus is uncertain since Russia is trying to dilute any
new mandate.

-- The Future Orientation of the Economic and Environmental
Dimension ) This is an EU priority; it would provide for a
review in 2010 of the activities undertaken by the OSCE in
the second dimension.

-- Follow-up to the 17th Economic and Environmental Forum on
Migration Management ) This decision, which emphasizes the
positive aspects of migration, is a Greek priority.

-- Enhancing OSCE Efforts to Ensure Roma and Sinti
Sustainable Integration ) This decision adds valuable
mandates in the area of early childhood education.

-- Women,s Participation in Political and Public Life ) The
United States and the EU strongly support this decision,
which would encourage the implementation of equal
opportunities measures in government, political parties,
security institutions, and peace-building initiatives.


-- Tolerance and Non-Discrimination: Promoting Mutual Respect
and Understanding ) This decision will approve Kazakhstan,s
plans to host a high-level tolerance conference in June/July
2010 in Astana.

-- Small Arms and Light Weapons and Stockpiles of
Conventional Ammunition ) This decision tasks the
development of a plan of action and review of the SALW
Document by May 2010, among other declared steps in support
of the SALW control regime.

-- Declaration on Non-Proliferation ) This is an expressed
commitment of OSCE participating States in support of the
various regimes to control, contain, or prohibit the spread
of WMD and related technologies.

-- Declaration on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the
Adoption of the UN Convention against Torture ) This is
mainly drawn from previously agreed language, but sends a
political signal about the commitment of participating States
to preventing torture.

-- Strengthening the Legal Status of the OSCE ) This
decision will set up a working group to continue exploring in
2010 the issue of granting the OSCE legal personality.

Conclusion:
--------------


11. (C) The OSCE has long been a key tool for the promotion
of democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, but
Russian actions have taken a toll on the organization,s
effectiveness. We need to use the Athens Ministerial to call
for greater emphasis on key human dimension issues, and
underscore and reaffirm the commitments that underpin
European security. We also need to ensure the continuation
of the Corfu Process within the OSCE framework in 2010 and
urge additional OSCE efforts in crisis management and
conflict prevention and resolution. Additionally, we need to
emphasize the need to achieve real progress in the resolution
of the protracted conflicts. If we can achieve these
objectives, while countering conflicting messages from
Russia, we can help lay the foundation for a revitalized
organization.
FULLER