VZCZCXRO2683
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMRE RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHVEN #0089/01 0981327
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081327Z APR 09
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0198
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6332
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 0093
RUCNOSC/OSCE COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/RPM; EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:        
SUBJECT: U.S.-EU SPRING CONSULTATIONS ON OSCE: DETERMINING 
THE MUTUAL NEED 
 
 1. (U) The EU hosted on March 6 a U.S. delegation, headed by 
USOSCE Charge Kyle Scott and EUR/RPM Office Director Bruce 
Turner, for the semi-annual U.S.-EU "COSCE" consultations on 
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
(OSCE).  The discussions ranged over a variety of topics 
confronting the OSCE.  Both the Czech EU Presidency and the 
U.S. professed the value and importance of continued close 
coordination on OSCE issues of concern. 
 
 2. (SBU) Main topics covered included: 
 
European Security Architecture -- There was an agreement on 
the value of engaging with the Russians on this while 
remaining mindful of the shared principles of: fulfilling 
commitments, emphasizing comprehensiveness, retaining a 
transatlantic component and centering the discussions in the 
OSCE.  Next steps in the dialogue process will include 
national seminars in Italy and Austria and the OSCE,s Annual 
Security Review Conference June 23-24.  The EU agreed with 
the U.S. assertion that gaining traction on CFE would be an 
important barometer of genuine progress in any overall 
security discussions. 
 
Afghanistan -- Main OSCE activities currently are proposed 
border security projects and possible assistance to upcoming 
Presidential elections.  The key in both cases is to ensure 
OSCE focus on niche roles.  A thematic niche role for the 
OSCE also is to build regional cooperation in these and other 
functional areas in Central Asia that can be extended to 
Afghanistan. 
 
Protracted Conflicts -- These remain at the heart of European 
insecurity.  Events last year in Georgia destabilized the 
region and for the time being derailed possible progress in 
Nagorno-Karabakh.  For Moldova, EU has a number of useful 
tools to contribute to an eventual resolution, but it is 
doubtful that Moldovan President Voronin or Transniestrian 
leader Smirnof really desire a resolution.  One interesting 
wrinkle is to consider the Ukrainian angle on Moldova and 
whether certain power centers in Kyiv benefit by having 
Transniestria remain mostly an ungoverned space. 
 
SE Europe )- The U.S. presented arguments for why the OSCE 
Mission to Kosovo (OMIK) should be downsized and refocused to 
avoid overlapping competencies with other international 
efforts and ease concerns that due to strict status 
neutrality constraints it undermines Kosovo,s elected 
government.  The EU agreed to consider a U.S. suggestion that 
it send an assessment mission to Pristina to gauge OMIK,s 
current effectiveness. On the OSCE office in Croatia, the EU 
resisted U.S. calls to close it down, saying it still serves 
two important roles: monitoring progress on IDPs and 
fostering a judicial process on war crimes.  In response to 
U.S. questions a threshold for closure, the EU suggested 
establishing specific benchmarks.  The U.S. also raised 
concerns about the apparent inverse relationship between the 
presence of OSCE offices or Missions and progress in the 
EU,s Stabilization and Association Process. 
 
Georgia )- Both sides appreciated improved coordination 
between the EU and OSCE monitors.  There was also agreement 
on the value of Greek efforts to broker a new OSCE Mission 
mandate, with the U.S. insisting the time would soon come to 
call the Russian bluff and see if they would agree to 
maintaining the OSCE,s presence.  A representative from the 
Council of Europe (COE) described their activities in 
Georgia, including the fact that the COE had a representative 
based for stretches at a time in Tshkinvali, and urged the 
U.S. look more closely at COE reports on Georgia. 
 
Belarus )- The EU assessed some encouraging aspects of 
recent Belarusian behavior and said positive incentives such 
as inclusion in the EU,s upcoming Eastern Partnership and 
suspension of the implementation of the visa ban would be 
offset by an extension of various sanction regimes that could 
easily be re-imposed if required.  The EU said that 
opposition leaders in Minsk are cautiously optimistic about 
an improvement in the political climate, which they attribute 
in part to a more positive EU attitude. Both sides were 
concerned about Minsk,s possible acquiescence to Russian 
pressure to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  While not 
a member of the Council of Europe, Belarus is interested in 
closer relations with Strasbourg, which might include 
establishment of a COE information office in Minsk and 
Belarusian adherence to several COE conventions including 
torture. 
 
 3.  (SBU) COMMENT: These semi-annual discussions remain a 
 
USOSCE 00000089  002 OF 002 
 
 
useful opportunity to take a step back and consider larger 
trends and developments at the OSCE.   That they broke little 
new ground, however, is a tribute to the close communication 
and coordination we currently enjoy in Vienna with the EU 
troika.  Particularly effective have been our efforts to 
reach out directly to the Czech Presidency ahead of the EU,s 
weekly coordination meeting in an effort to avoid being 
confronted later on with an EU fait accompli following the 
often tortuous position formulation negotiations among all 27 
members. 
SCOTT