Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09VILNIUS622
2009-11-20 14:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vilnius
Cable title:
IRAN LOOKING TO DEVELOP COMMERCIAL TIES WITH
how-toVZCZCXRO4273 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHVL #0622 3241456 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 201456Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3899 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000622
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR LH
SUBJECT: IRAN LOOKING TO DEVELOP COMMERCIAL TIES WITH
LITHUANIA
REF: A. DAS JONES - EMBASSY EMAIL EXCHANGE
B. TIRANA 727
C. RIGA 507
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief John Finkbeiner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000622
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR LH
SUBJECT: IRAN LOOKING TO DEVELOP COMMERCIAL TIES WITH
LITHUANIA
REF: A. DAS JONES - EMBASSY EMAIL EXCHANGE
B. TIRANA 727
C. RIGA 507
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief John Finkbeiner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d
).
1. (U) Action request -- see paragraph 5.
2. (C) On November 18 poloffs met with MFA,s Head of Middle
East and Africa Division Laima Jureviciene to inquire whether
Iran has approached Lithuania to offer enhanced commercial
relations (further to above references). Jureviciene
confirmed that the GOL received a letter from Iran's Deputy
Minister for Europe on November 17th offering to come to
Vilnius to discuss bilateral trade opportunities. The GOL
has not yet responded to the offer, she added. Iran's
previous Deputy Minister for Europe made a similar offer to
visit last year but the GOL declined. Jureviciene said that
the outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Poland (who is also
accredited to Lithuania) plans to visit Vilnius this month.
3. (C) Jureviciene asked our opinion on the right level of
GOL representation for these meetings. We responded that any
meeting with Foreign Minister Usackas would send the wrong
message, and suggested that a lower-ranked official would be
more appropriate, should the GOL decide that a meeting is
necessary at all. We offered to meet with the MFA prior to
any meetings with Iranian officials to provide updated
information regarding Iran's nuclear program and Iran's
attempts to transport arms and illicit items through
commercial routes.
4. (C) The Ambassador took the opportunity of a meeting with
Foreign Minister Usackas on November 20 to underscore U.S.
concerns about Iranian attempts to seek enhanced commercial
ties with Lithuania, especially given how Iran has used such
ties in the past to attempt to evade UNSC sanctions. Usackas
confirmed that no decision had been made yet regarding a
meeting. He suggested that Lithuania did not intend to make
any promises with the Iranian deputy minister should such a
meeting occur. Usackas speculated that Iran wanted to
discuss with the GOL the "Viking Project", a joint
Lithuanian-Ukrainian-Belarusian project to develop a
container train link between Odessa, Ukraine and Klaipeda,
Lithuania, transiting Belarus. Iran may be interested in the
project as a means of transporting Iranian goods to Europe.
5. (C) Action request: Embassy would appreciate Department
guidance and talking points to provide to Minister Usackas
and other MFA officials in advance of any meetings with
Iranian officials.
DERSE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR LH
SUBJECT: IRAN LOOKING TO DEVELOP COMMERCIAL TIES WITH
LITHUANIA
REF: A. DAS JONES - EMBASSY EMAIL EXCHANGE
B. TIRANA 727
C. RIGA 507
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief John Finkbeiner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d
).
1. (U) Action request -- see paragraph 5.
2. (C) On November 18 poloffs met with MFA,s Head of Middle
East and Africa Division Laima Jureviciene to inquire whether
Iran has approached Lithuania to offer enhanced commercial
relations (further to above references). Jureviciene
confirmed that the GOL received a letter from Iran's Deputy
Minister for Europe on November 17th offering to come to
Vilnius to discuss bilateral trade opportunities. The GOL
has not yet responded to the offer, she added. Iran's
previous Deputy Minister for Europe made a similar offer to
visit last year but the GOL declined. Jureviciene said that
the outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Poland (who is also
accredited to Lithuania) plans to visit Vilnius this month.
3. (C) Jureviciene asked our opinion on the right level of
GOL representation for these meetings. We responded that any
meeting with Foreign Minister Usackas would send the wrong
message, and suggested that a lower-ranked official would be
more appropriate, should the GOL decide that a meeting is
necessary at all. We offered to meet with the MFA prior to
any meetings with Iranian officials to provide updated
information regarding Iran's nuclear program and Iran's
attempts to transport arms and illicit items through
commercial routes.
4. (C) The Ambassador took the opportunity of a meeting with
Foreign Minister Usackas on November 20 to underscore U.S.
concerns about Iranian attempts to seek enhanced commercial
ties with Lithuania, especially given how Iran has used such
ties in the past to attempt to evade UNSC sanctions. Usackas
confirmed that no decision had been made yet regarding a
meeting. He suggested that Lithuania did not intend to make
any promises with the Iranian deputy minister should such a
meeting occur. Usackas speculated that Iran wanted to
discuss with the GOL the "Viking Project", a joint
Lithuanian-Ukrainian-Belarusian project to develop a
container train link between Odessa, Ukraine and Klaipeda,
Lithuania, transiting Belarus. Iran may be interested in the
project as a means of transporting Iranian goods to Europe.
5. (C) Action request: Embassy would appreciate Department
guidance and talking points to provide to Minister Usackas
and other MFA officials in advance of any meetings with
Iranian officials.
DERSE