Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10KYIV103
2010-01-21 13:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kyiv
Cable title:  

IMF AGAIN DISMAYED BY UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES

Tags:  EFIN EREL ETRD PGOV PINR UP XH 
pdf how-to read a cable
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O 211327Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9174
INFO RHMFISS/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KYIV 000103 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR, EUR/UMB, EEB/OMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2020
TAGS: EFIN EREL ETRD PGOV PINR UP XH
SUBJECT: IMF AGAIN DISMAYED BY UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES

REF: KYIV 89

Classified By: Acting Economic Counselor Kaye Lee for Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KYIV 000103

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR, EUR/UMB, EEB/OMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/20/2020
TAGS: EFIN EREL ETRD PGOV PINR UP XH
SUBJECT: IMF AGAIN DISMAYED BY UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES

REF: KYIV 89

Classified By: Acting Economic Counselor Kaye Lee for Reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d)


1. (C) Summary. IMF resident representative Max Alier
expressed frustration and dismay at the GOU's recent public
statements falsely announcing the impending arrival of an IMF
technical assessment team. Alier said the GOU had resorted
to "pressure tactics" and that Deputy Prime Minister Nemyria
and Acting Finance Minister Umanskiy had been behaving
"erratically" since mid-December. Alier further noted that
last week's GOU delegation to Washington, led by Deputy
Finance Minister Myarkovskiy, had been devoid of an obvious
goal. IMF's "best case scenario" for re-engaging Ukraine's
authorities includes re-starting talks with the new
President's transition team in mid-February and sending an
IMF mission team as early as mid-March. Alier privately
agreed, however, that such a timeframe might be overly
optimistic given concerns about post-election court actions
and other related delays. End Summary.

IMF "BAFFLED" AT GOU ANNOUNCEMENT
--------------


2. (C) Alier told Econoff on January 20 that the Fund had
been "baffled" at Deputy Prime Minister Nemyria's January 19
public statement that the IMF was sending a technical team to
Ukraine in the coming days. After immediately and directly
rejecting this possibility with Ukraine's Cabinet of
Ministers, Alier said he was "shocked" when Acting Finance
Minister Umanskiy repeated the same claim to journalists the
following day. Alier said he had been left with no other
choice than to refute the GOU's story in an interview with a
local business daily.


3. (C) The IMF had come to the conclusion that Nemyria and
Umanskiy were suffering the effects of heavy pressure from
Prime Minister Tymoshenko over the economy and the
presidential election. Nemyria particularly was singled out
by Alier for his erratic behavior since mid-December 2009.

IMF UNCERTAIN ABOUT RECENT GOU DELEGATION
--------------


4. (C) The Fund also had been confused about the purpose of
last week's GOU delegation to Washington, led by Deputy
Finance Minister Myarkovskiy, especially since it had come so
soon after Nemyria and Umanskiy's own highly publicized
visits. Alier said the IMF had appreciated information
passed by Myarkovskiy to the Fund's budget experts, but noted
that the trip had seemed "highly unnecessary" without any
other clear goal or message. Alier concluded that Nemyria
had dispatched Myarkovskiy to Washington as a response to
pressure from Tymoshenko to "do something" about Ukraine's
off-track loan program. (Note: Umanskyi told the Ambassador
that the team had been dispatched to Washington to work out a
way for the GOU to access $2 billion in reserves at the
National Bank. See Reftel. End Note.)

BEST CASE SCENARIO FOR RE-ENGAGEMENT
--------------


5. (C) Alier said the Fund had been operating under a "best
case scenario" in its planning for further negotiations in
Ukraine. The IMF was prepared to send technical advisors to
meet with the new President's transition team in mid-February
and had slated mid-March for the arrival of a full mission
team. New IMF mission director Athanasios Arvanitis would
have the mandate to take a "fresh look" at Ukraine's economic
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