US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV2304

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/IPA AND EUR/RUS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014 
TAGS: KPAL, PREL, RS, XF, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS 
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN ENVOY FOCUSES ON QUARTET AND DISENGAGEMENT 
PLAN DETAILS 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 01353 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
1.  (C) Russian Special Middle East Envoy Kalugin told the 
Ambassador April 20 that President Bush's April 14 statement 
on Sharon's Disengagement Plan "went further than the Road 
Map" but was "quite balanced."  Kalugin emphasized the value 
Russia placed on the role of negotiations between the parties 
and the continued involvement of the Quartet.  Kalugin said 
he is focusing now on preparing his minister for the upcoming 
meeting of Quartet ministers and is ready to work with other 
Quartet members to develop an agreed-upon statement for 
release at the meeting's conclusion. 
 
2.  (C) Kalugin, who was accompanied by Russian Ambassador 
Tarasov, asked a series of questions relating to various 
disengagement plan details, including the meaning of 
settlement growth, international trusteeship plans for Gaza 
settlement assets, and Sharon's schedule for implementation 
of the plan.  Ambassador Kurtzer pointed out there were not 
firm timelines for disengagement implementation, but there 
were mechanisms for moving the process forward.  Under the 
provisions of the April 14 Weissglas-Rice side letter, the 
Ambassador noted, he will engage with the GOI on defining 
settlement construction lines.  The Ambassador told Kalugin 
that World Bank President Wolfenson has begun preliminary 
discussions with the GOI on possible international 
organization trusteeship mechanisms for settlement assets. 
During the course of the discussion, Kalugin and Tarasov also 
expressed an interest in better understanding the GOI's plans 
for the Philadelphi corridor and the situations under which 
the GOI would return to Gaza as a matter of "active self 
defense." 
 
3.  (C) Kalugin, noting that Nabil Sha'ath, during an April 
16 visit to Moscow, was both "critical" of and "disappointed" 
in President Bush's April 14 announcement, said that Russia 
will continue to try to find positive elements to stress in 
its dialog with the parties.  Kalugin said he expects to see 
Abu Ala'a sometime during the week of April 26 and said that 
Giora Eiland is expected in Moscow that same week to explain 
elements of Sharon's Disengagement Plan.  Ambassador Kurtzer 
urged Kalugin to focus Abu Ala'a on the positive results that 
disengagement could bring to Palestinians in Gaza and 
encourage Abu Ala'a to develop pragmatic plans now for that 
eventuality. 
 
 
 
 
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KURTZER