US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS3227

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 003227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/UMB AND EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2009 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PBTS, PHUM, PGOV, MD, EUN, OSCE, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EU CONSIDERS VISA BAN ON 21 TRANSNISTRIAN 
OFFICIALS LINKED TO SCHOOL CLOSINGS 
 
REF: CHISINAU 832 
 
Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.4 (B,D) 
 
 1.  (SBU)  On July 29, EU Political and Security Committee 
(PSC) Ambassadors agreed to consider imposing a visa ban on 
21 Transnistrian officials connected to the recent closing of 
Moldovan schools in Transnistria.  EU staff are preparing the 
paperwork to impose the ban; the PSC will review the issue 
again on August 3.  If there is no improvement on the ground 
regarding the school closings by then, and the EU does not 
expect any, the PSC is likely to agree on a visa ban.  The 
ban would then need to be blessed by Ministers, which could 
take an additional few days.  If the EU acts, it will not add 
these 21 names to the existing ban, but would institute a 
separate ban on officials linked to the school closings; if 
the schools issue is resolved favorably, the EU would lift 
the ban on these officials, following three months normal 
operation of the schools (see last para of list below on the 
"exit strategy"). 
 
2. (C)  The EU has shared the list of 21 names with us, in an 
effort to coordinate with the US, both on the names and on 
public announcement of any action taken.  Note that this list 
includes eight of the eleven names transmitted reftel (the 
three parliamentarians were dropped) with additional local 
officials from Bendery, Tiraspol and Ribnita added. 
 
Begin EU List 
 
Transnistrian "Ministry of Education" 
"Minister" Bomeshko, Elena Vasilyevna 
"First Deputy Minister" Gello, Valentina Alexeevna 
"Deputy Minister" Kriminski, Alexander Ivanovich 
"Deputy Minister" Surinov, Victor Georgevich 
 
From local administrations: 
 
(1.) Bendery 
City administration:  Head of city administration 
Posudnevsky, Aleksander Ivanovich 
Deputy Head of city administration on construction issues 
Galata, Victor Aleksandrovich 
Deputy Head of city administration on education issues 
Gordienco, Svetlana Aleksandrovna 
Head of city council Moskalev, A.N. 
Head of Department for education: UZUN, Svetlana Dmitrievna 
Deputy Head of Department for education: Kilivnik, Nina 
Nikolaevna 
 
(2.) Tiraspol 
City Administration: Head of city administration Kostyrko, 
Ivan Ivanovich 
Chairman of City Council: Ivanchenkov, Victor Mikhailovich 
Head of Department for education: Pashenko, Maria Rafelovna 
 
(3.) Ribnita 
City administration:  Head of city administration Platonov, 
Yuri Mokhailovich 
Deputy Head of city administation on education issues 
Cherbulenko, Alla Viktorovna 
Deputy Head of city administration on construction issues 
Gordenko, Aleksej Nikolaevich 
Department for education:  Head of department Pereli, Boris 
Ivanovich 
Deputy head of department VYRODOV, Evgenij Aleksandrovich 
Head of Militsia: Mr. Kisserman 
Deputy Head of Militsia: Mr. Malai 
 
As an appropriate exit strategy Chisinau HoMs would like to 
suggest that the ban may be lifted if schools in question 
have been reopened by September 1, 2004 and have been working 
properly and without harassment by Transnistrian authorities 
for 3 months thereafter. 
 
End Text of EU list. 
 
SAMMIS