INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Fsc: Jan 20 Opening Winter Session--Russia Is Ready

Published: Fri 22 Jan 2010 03:24 PM
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PP RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL
RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0018/01 0221524
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221524Z JAN 10
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6830
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE PRIORITY
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE PRIORITY
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USAREUR POLAD HEIDELBERG GE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USOSCE 000018
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, EUR/CARC,
SCA/CEN, SCA/RA, PM/WRA, ISN/CPI
NSC FOR SHERWOOD-RANDALL, HAYDEN, MCFAUL, HOVENIER,
NILSSON, FRIEDT
OSD FOR ISA (WALLENDER, KEHL)
JCS, EUCOM, USAREUR AND CENTCOM: FOR J-5
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCFE OSCE PARM PREL RS XG
SUBJECT: FSC: JAN 20 OPENING WINTER SESSION--RUSSIA IS READY
REF: A. STATE 4427
B. STATE 5040
1. (SBU) Summary: The Winter Session of the FSC Plenary
garnered general support for beginning the implementation of
the main themes from the Issues Decision agreed at the Athens
Ministerial: CSBMs including Vienna Document 1999 (VD99),
Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Code of Conduct, and
strengthening the OSCE's crisis management and conflict
prevention capabilities, and non-proliferation. Russia
introduced a reissued Draft Decision on Conflict Prevention
and Crisis Management as a Joint FSC-PC document, and pressed
for the first discussion of this initiative at the February 3
plenary. Russia is aiming for an OSCE Decision on Conflict
Prevention at the March 10 FSC/PC Joint Session. Russia also
asked for a discussion at the January 27 FSC Plenary on the
merits of its proposed European Security Treaty as a separate
topic from the OSCE "comprehensive approach" to security.
Russia is seeking clarification "from the West" on the
linkage between "hard" and "soft" security, as well as a
dialogue on the relative value of discussing a comprehensive
approach to security as opposed to one reflecting strictly
"hard" security principles. End Summary.
The Greek FSC Chair's Inaugural Speech
--------------------------------------
2. (SBU) Greece's Alternate Defense Minister Panos Beglitis
opened the winter session marking the 600th Plenary of the
Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) on January 20, setting
forth the Greek Chairmanship's goals through March and beyond
underscoring close collaboration on the 2010 agenda with
Hungary and Ireland, who will hold respectively successive
FSC Chairs. Beglitis identified the Greek Chair's priorities
for the FSC as CSBMs/VD99, Small Arms and Light Weapons
(SALW), and the Code of Conduct. He expressed optimism that
the FSC could strengthen CSBMs and the Vienna Document "in a
way that will provide predictability and openness to all."
Beglitis referred to Greece as a "status quo oriented
country" that considers the commitment to refrain from the
threat or the actual use of force against the territorial
integrity or sovereignty of any State as "the cornerstones of
inter-state relations," while also recognizing "the notion
that security begins with the inherent dignity of the
individual" so that "all our efforts should aim at
eliminating the inter-state and intra-state challenges to
this basic premise."
Beglitis described the Georgia crisis of August 2008 as proof
that the OSCE tool box for conflict prevention and crisis
management was either too cumbersome or insufficient, thus
requiring remedy. On SALW, Beglitis previewed Greece's
intention to improve "implementation of existing SALW
measures as well as OSCE normative work in this field" as
preparation for the OSCE's contribution to the Fourth
Biennial Meeting of States of SALW this June. Toward this
end, the Greek chair has tabled a Food for Thought Paper on a
Plan of Action on SALW, and is seeking input from
participating States. Finally he noted the importance of
addressing non-proliferation and UNSCR 1810, and hope for
further work in OSCE on UNSCR 1540 implementation.
EU, U.S., then Russia
---------------------
3. (SBU) Spain (Betanzos) delivered the EU Statement echoing
many of the same themes highlighted by the Greek FSC Chair.
With regards to SALW, Spain noted that it hoped the OSCE,s
efforts in this area would continue to EU
efforts on SALW. The U.S. (Fuller) delivered ref b
statement, with a reference to building synergies between the
FSC and PC in the implementation of the Athens Ministerial
Decisions. Representing the OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Kazakhstan (Sulmeinov) noted the "clear tasking from Foreign
USOSCE 00000018 002 OF 003
Ministers to work on VD99, adding its preference for a
targeted approach on those sections that "require updating
and development." Kazakhstan also noted its support for the
themes raised in the Greek statement. Russia (Ulyanov)
labeled the Greek inaugural remarks "interesting and solid."
Russia said the FSC should not waste time in moving forward
with implementation of the Athens Ministerial Decisions, and
noted that Russia has reissued its draft decision on conflict
prevention and crisis management as a Joint FSC-PC document
(FSC-PC.DEL/1/10/Corr.1) for discussions to be held in
parallel of the Permanent Council and the FSC. Russia
requested the Chair to put the draft on the February 3 agenda
for Working Group B (Note: Ulyanov elaborated on this point
under Agenda Item 2, General Statements; see paragraph 5. End
note.).
4. (SBU) Hungary (Molnar), speaking as "a member of the FSC
Troika," said the Athens Ministerial challenged the FSC with
an important new role to play in the Corfu Process. Hungary
lauded the "expanded Troika" idea employed by Greece to
include all of the incoming FSC Chairmen for 2010 as
essential for building upon successive achievements, and
pledged Hungary would prepare the Forum for Ireland, which
will hold the final FSC Chair in 2010. Ireland (O'Leary)
underscored that the Corfu Process will add to an already
formidable agenda for the FSC in the run up to the tasks for
December. Ireland added it was still too early to highlight
any Irish initiatives for the FSC. In his closing remarks,
Beglitis expressed the opinion that the most important aspect
of this session would be to get consensus in the FSC.
More on Russia's Draft Decision on Crisis Prevention
--------------------------------------------- -------
5. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) elaborated on its conflict
prevention draft decision for discussion on the February 3 in
Working Group "B." Russia would like its Draft Decision
approved at the March 10 Joint FSC-PC meeting. He said the
initiative is a direct contribution to strengthening the
OSCE's crisis management capabilities as directed within
Ministerial Decision 16/09 (Issues Relevant to the FSC).
Referencing "the events of August 2008," Ulyanov said current
mechanisms do not address the danger of escalation and permit
double standards, thus the need for a common set of rules and
precision in the rules of conduct by States. He recognized
that each conflict was unique, but noted there were still
basic principles that apply equally to all situations:
non-use or threat to use force, role of diplomacy and
international mediation, etc., and Russia would like these
fundamentals "codified" in a single Ulyanov
acknowledged the elements in the draft decision were not
exhaustive, and Russia looked forward to engaging on filling
the gaps in order to make the OSCE's capabilities and
performance more reliable.
6. (SBU) Comment: No delegation spoke up in favor or against
the Russian draft. There may be recalculation of national
positions now that Russia has circulated its conflict
prevention/crisis management proposal as a Joint FSC-PC
document, and in light of the Russia,s second initiative, to
hold an FSC Security Dialogue discussion on the merits of the
proposed European Security Treaty separate from the other
OSCE baskets (see below). End Comment.
Any Other Business
------------------
7. (SBU) Belgium (Van de Velde) reported on the ratification
of the anti-Cluster Munitions (Oslo) Agreement, noting it is
the 26th State to ratify and 30 are required for
Entry-into-Force. The U.S. (Neighbour) briefed on the U.S.
donation to the Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) OSCE project
in Ukraine. The Stockpile of Conventional Ammunition
Coordinator (Petersen) and the SALW Coordinator (Hartnell)
USOSCE 00000018 003 OF 003
reported updates, respectively FSC.DEL/4/10 and FSC.DEL/7/10.
Georgia requested pS to consider options for assistance for
its UXO project. Kazakhstan noted 300K Euros were still
needed for implementing its "melange" project, including an
additional 300K Euros for an ammunition test lab. Moldova
requested financial assistance for a new ammunition storage
site, for SALW storage and for SAM disposal. Serbia reported
on its SALW project.
Russia presses "the West" to explain itself
-------------------------------------------
8. (SBU) Russia (Ulyanov) requested that the FSC have an
exchange of views of its proposed Treaty on European Security
(EST) and how it would relate to comprehensive security in
the OSCE area. Ulyanov expressed concern that the impression
given by "the West" insisting on a comprehensive approach to
the EST was an attempt to dilute the Russian initiative, and
a discussion on this topic in the FSC would help Russia "set
forth its initiative in greater detail," which it intended to
do in the coming weeks. Ulyanov said there should be no
problem taking a "sectoral approach" to discussing the EST as
a separate "hard security" initiative since this has been the
approach with other issues like CFE and START, but welcomed
other pS, views on how and why a comprehensive approach is
more useful. He appealed to pS not to create artificial
opposition, advocating discussion of the topic "in all
formats" and in a "free-ranging" manner. Russia asked to
engage in this discussion at the next FSC plenary.
9. (SBU) Comment: The thrust of Ulyanov's appeal is to
attempt to understand the cross-dimensional security linkages
as the framework for what Russia perceives as a sui generis
initiative. The Greek Chair agreed to put the discussion on
the agenda for the 601st FSC Plenary. Unless instructed
otherwise, USDEL will draw from standing guidance (ref a) to
steer the discussion in the FSC towards the inclusive,
multi-dimensional comparative advantage the OSCE has on
security issues.
10. (SBU) The 601st FSC Plenary and Working Groups "B" and
"A" will be on January 27.
FULLER
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