VZCZCXRO3971
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHLO #1837/01 1921638
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101638Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9171
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 001837
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/RUS, EUR/WE
EO 12958 DECL: 07/09/2018
TAGS PGOV, ECON, ENRG, PREL, UK, RS
SUBJECT: FOREIGN OFFICE SEES BROWN-MEDVEDEV TALKS LEADING
TO WARMER UK-RUSSIAN RELATIONS
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard M. Mills Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev used their first one-on-one meeting at
the G8 summit to build a friendly rapport rather than “score points” on smaller contentious issues, said the Foreign
Office (FCO) to members of the diplomatic community. According to the FCO, Brown and Medvedev both expressed frustration
at the stalled dialogue between the two governments, and pledged to reopen top-level lines of communication. They agreed
on several issues, including support of a post-Kyoto framework, reformation of international institutions, and increased
dialogue on climate change. At the same time, the pair did not dwell on more controversial issues, such as Kosovo’s
independence and the Litvinenko murder. The FCO,s overall assessment of the meeting was positive, and the FCO’s Russian
Office sees in Medvedev a leader more open to domestic liberalization and cooperation with Britain and the West than was
his predecessor.
2. (SBU) Summary continued. Though the Brown-Medvedev meeting touched on important international issues, the FCO said
the most important outcome were signs of a thaw in top-level UK-Russian relations. As an example, they pointed to
conversations with the Russian government regarding Zimbabwe and progress in gaining Moscow’s support for some G8
action. Encouraged by the prospects of improving relations under Medvedev, the FCO believes that now may not be the time
to renegotiate items such as the Russia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), and that better agreements with
Moscow may be reached later, if Medvedev can successfully liberalize parts of Russian society. End Summary.
Litvinenko
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3. (C/NF) PM Brown briefly brought up the Litvinenko murder case and the extradition request, and Medvedev apparently
sought to bury the matter by referring to it as a “legal issue.” Medvedev said that it was a “sad affair,” but that it
should be a matter left to the courts. FCO reported that no transformative dialogue occurred, and that no progress was
made on the issue.
4. (C/NF) In a separate meeting on the day of the briefing, Cabinet Office Director General Margaret Aldred confirmed to
the DCM that the Brown meeting had been “fairly relaxed” and not strained. Aldred said the cost of the fall-out to HMG
from the Litvinenko issue was an end to close cooperation with Russian intelligence (FSB) on counterterrorism and other
global issues.
Visas and Diplomatic Relations
------------------------------
5. (C/NF) Brown and Medvedev made little progress on the issue of diplomatic visas, which are still being restricted by
both countries as part of the fall-out from the Litvinenko case. The FCO reported that Medvedev was apparently upset
over reports in the British media, appearing the same week as the G8 meeting, on Russian espionage activities in the UK.
6. (C/NF) According to the FCO, HMG has had good reasons to refuse many Russian visa requests. HMG officials see a real
“intelligence threat from” Russia (in addition to China), and regret a “missed opportunity” in the late 1990s and early
2000s to assess these intelligence threats. FCO officials explained that the Russian government is still restricting
visas to UK diplomats, that HMG is not be able to fully staff its embassy in Russia, and that local Russian hires have
been harassed by the FSB. Accordingly, HMG is restricting the number of visas issued to Russian officials. The FCO
reports that HMG had proposed a deal on easing visa restrictions, but that Russia is requiring that HMG consult with the
FSB on any mutual visa agreement. HMG continues to refuse to engage directly with the FSB, pending resolution of the
Litvinenko murder case.
British Petroleum
-----------------
7. (SBU) Medvedev confirmed to Brown that he had met with Russian shareholders of TNK-BP, and indicated to them that
they could seek legal recourse through Russian courts, if they had concerns with how the joint venture was operating.
International Institutions
LONDON 00001837 002 OF 002
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8. (SBU) Medvedev brought up the need for major reform of international institutions, one of the PM’s main international
initiatives. Medvedev told Brown that international financial institutions need to be more engaged in managing the
global credit crunch.
British Council
---------------
9. (SBU) Medvedev told Brown that while Russia no longer views the British Council in Russia as a “den of spies,” there
still exist legal issues regarding the British Council,s activities in Russia. Medvedev implied that politicians are not
in a position to discuss what is or is not legal, and that Russian courts will make the final decisions regarding the
British Council,s Russian operations.
Kyoto Protocol
--------------
10. (SBU) Medvedev indicated to Brown that Russia might be willing to support a 2012 post-Kyoto framework, but expressed
concerns about the rapid industrialization of China and India and its potential to undermine any international agreement
on carbon emissions.
FCO,s Analysis: Medvedev is not Putin
-------------------------------------
11. (C/NF) FCO officials expressed optimism that Medvedev will bring a partial liberalization to Russian political life.
They see signs of a slow break with Putin, including the former President,s failure to attend the G8 summit, the
retirement of several high-ranking Putin-appointed generals, and the appointment of Antoly Chubais, a liberal and close
Medvedev ally, to the presidency of Rosnanotech, which FCO views as a huge “Kremlin slush fund.” On the other hand,
several of Putin,s men are still in the upper echelons of the Kremlin, though the FCO believes that they will be removed
over the next few years.
12. (C/NF) FCO officials said that the EU should hold off on signing a new PCA, which expires at the end of 2008, and
wait to see if Medvedev liberalizes parts of Russian society before agreeing to long-term commitments. The FCO stressed
that the next few years should be geared towards improving upper-level UK-Russian relations, and that high-level visits
are the way forward. HMG is planning several visits to Russia in the fall, and will receive high-level Russian officials
early next year.
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