SIXTH SOFA PLENARY MAKES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000433 SIPDIS EUR/CE FOR YEAGER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2019 TAGS: PREL PM MAPP PL SUBJECT: SIXTH SOFA PLENARY MAKES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS Classified By: Ambassador Jackson McDonald, Special Advisor for Securit y Negotiations and Agreements, for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (SBU) The parties achieved significant progress in round six of U.S.-Poland SOFA negotiations held in Warsaw April 21-23. Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Komorowski, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer, and Deputy Finance Minister Jacek Dominik led the Polish delegation. Ambassador Jackson McDonald, Special Advisor for Security Negotiations and Agreements, led the U.S. delegation. ¶2. (C) In the one-on-one initial session, DDM Komorowski told Ambassador McDonald that he wanted to produce as clean a text as possible during this round and the next so he could then seek new instructions (and possibly greater flexibility) from his political superiors on the last outstanding issues (e.g., claims, etc). ¶3. (SBU) The sides reached full, provisional agreement on several articles, including discipline, determination of jurisdiction, telecommunications, logistical support, utilities, and labor. The parties reached near-agreement on personal tax exemptions and pre-trial detention. The sides made some progress on jurisdiction, but more work remains. ¶4. (SBU) On the crucial matter of official tax exemptions, the Poles agreed to grant exemption for official personnel and contractors, but differences remain over the mechanism to achieve tax neutrality -- the Poles want the U.S. to pay VAT and file for reimbursement; U.S. Department of Defense wants exemption at the point of purchase. ¶5. (SBU) The next round is scheduled for June 8-10 due to unavailability of DDM Komorowski and DFM Kremer before then. ASHE