LITHUANIA FOCUSED ON GEORGIA AND MOLDOVA IN GAERC

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000269 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV EUN SUBJECT: LITHUANIA FOCUSED ON GEORGIA AND MOLDOVA IN GAERC Classified By: DCM Damian R. Leader for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Foreign Minister Usackas will focus on Georgia and Moldova at the upcoming GAERC meetings. The GOL is in favor of visa liberalization discussions with both countries. We encouraged the GOL to rethink a possible EUFOR drawdown in Bosnia. We also discussed GOL priorities for the EU-Russia Summit. End summary. ¶2. (C) We met with the head of the MFA's Common Foreign and Security Policy Division, Egidijus Navikas, on May 12 to discuss the upcoming GAERC meeting. Navikas said that FM Usackas is likely to comment during discussions on Georgia and Moldova. Navikas said the GOL is concerned with both the internal political situation in Georgia and with Russia's behavior in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He elaborated that Russia is acting with complete disregard to its six-point plan commitments and the GOL wants this issue to be raised during the upcoming EU-Russia Summit. Navikas said that the GOL supports reinforcing EU instruments in Georgia. We agreed that EU engagement has been beneficial and urged the EU to renew its Monitoring Mission when the current mandate expires in September. The GOL will call for fast action on EU initiatives to establish visa facilitation and a free trade agreement with Georgia. ¶3. (C) Navikas said the GOL shares our concern about post-election tensions in Moldova. He said that the GOL wants the EU to launch a dialogue on visa liberalization with Moldova. Navikas stated that the move would be politically symbolic and acknowledged that the actual dialogue could go on for years. He referenced the GOL's experience in qualifying for the U.S. visa waiver program and said that in the same way, Moldova would have to meet concrete EU requirements to achieve visa liberalization. ¶4. (C) Navikas confirmed that the GOL is participating in the EUFOR ALTHEA mission in Bosnia. However he said that the GOL supports the EU movement to draw down the peacekeeping operation and maintain a smaller military advisory mission. We asserted that Bosnia is still too fragile to contemplate such a drawdown and urged the GOL and the EU to consider how the international community would respond if a security threat were to arise after EUFOR's departure. ¶5. (C) During the GAERC meetings, the GOL will participate in prepatory meetings for the EU-Russia summit. Navikas named four framework areas for positive cooperation with Russia including 1) Assuring Free Market Principles, 2) Energy Policy, 3) Building Constructive Relations with Neighboring Countries, and 4) Democracy Promotion. He said these areas should be considered in the context of a possible EU-Russia treaty in the future. CLOUD