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Cablegate: Mission Usnato

Published: Mon 28 Sep 2009 05:15 PM
VZCZCXRO6145
OO RUEHDBU RUEHSL
DE RUEHNO #0413 2711715
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 281715Z SEP 09
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3422
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHBS/USNMR BRUSSELS BE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
CO N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000413
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2019
TAGS: PREL MARR NATO RS
REF: USNATO 400
Classified By: Charge John Heffern for reasons 1.4 (b/d).
1. (U) This is a Request for Guidance by OOB Brussels,
September 30. Please see para 2.
2. (C) NATO Secretary General Rasmussen proposed during his
September 18, 2009, speech on NATO-Russia relations that NATO
and Russia undertake a "joint threat assessment" and that the
NATO Russia Council (NRC) serve as a forum to discuss the
European Security Treaty (reftel). Discussion of these
topics is likely to occur at an informal NAC luncheon on
September 30, when we expect the SecGen to explain how he
intends to move forward on the initiatives raised in his
speech. We request Departments initial reaction and
guidance as to how to respond to these initiatives:
-- Joint Threat Assessment (JTA): The SecGen proposed
undertaking a "joint review of NATOs and Russias common
threats and challenges," to serve as an analytical platform
from which to enhance practical cooperation. This proposal
has raised concern among certain NATO members. Allies have
suggested that a NATO-Russia JTA should be limited to
counter-terrorism, Afghanistan, missile defense,
nonproliferation, and maritime security, the very areas the
SecGen laid out in his speech as priorities for NATO-Russia
cooperation. Unless otherwise directed, we will tell the
SecGen that Washington is not yet in a position to agree to
discuss this issue with Russia in the NRC. We will note that
we need more information regarding a number of questions in
order to make a more informed decision on whether/how to move
forward. These include: If we go forward, what parameters
should be set for the activity and what
information/intelligence could we share with Russia through
the NRC.
-- Discussion of European Security Treaty (EST): The SecGen
recognized in his speech that the OSCE was the primary forum
for discussion of the EST, but stated that a NATO-Russia
dialogue on this issue "could provide real added value." He
did not elaborate on how he intended to go about this other
than to say that it was necessary to develop a European
security architecture in which Russia saw itself "reflected"
and did not feel marginalized. Unless otherwise instructed,
we will indicate that any NATO-Russia conversation on the EST
must wait until after December in order to allow the Corfu
Process to run its course.
HEFFERN
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