US embassy cable - 05BRUSSELS807

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000807 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, MD, RS, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: MOLDOVAN ELECTIONS:  PM TARLEV ON RUSSIAN 
INTERFERENCE AND U.S. CRITICISM 
 
 
Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASONS 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary.  Moldovan PM Tarlev and FM Stratan met with 
EUR A/S Beth Jones February 21 in Brussels on the margins of 
the President's visit.  Tarlev sought the meeting to convey 
concerns about Russian interference in the upcoming 
legislative elections in Moldova.  He said recent U.S. 
criticism of the election process left Chisinau feeling 
"squeezed on two sides" and Tarlev was concerned that U.S. 
support for Moldova had lessened.  A/S Jones assured Tarlev 
the U.S. was committed to an independent, sovereign and 
democratic Moldova.  Free and fair elections, however, were 
an essential component of this formula, and the U.S. was 
concerned by the government dominance of the media and 
harassment of NGO's.  She urged Tarlev to take concrete 
action to address these concerns.  End Summary. 
 
Tarlev:  Has U.S. Support Lessened? 
--------------- 
2.  (C)  In response to Tarlev's concern that the recent 
statement on the elections by Department Spokesman Boucher 
signalled a lessening of U.S. support for Moldova, A/S Jones 
said there was no change in U.S. policy:  we continue to 
support a political resolution to Transnistria, and an 
independent, democratic and sovereign Moldova.  She said we 
hoped so much the March elections could be applauded by COE, 
OSCE, EU and US as free, fair and transparent, but were 
concerned by unequal media access and treatment of NGO's by 
the government.  A/S Jones reminded Tarlev that these are not 
new concerns; they have been raised repeatedly by Ambassador 
Hodges and EUR DAS Tefft. 
 
A/S Jones:  Elections must be Free and Fair 
------------------------ 
3.  (C)  A/S Jones appealed to Tarlev to look closely at 
media access -- which is easy for everyone to measure -- and 
NGO treatment. She told Tarlev that if an NGO breaks the law, 
the matter should be pursued through legal channels.  But, if 
the government simply does not like an NGO's politics, the 
NGO should be left alone.  Our concerns on these issues had 
led to the Boucher statement.  At the end of the meeting, A/S 
Jones passed Tarlev the english text of the Secretary's 
letter to President Voronin (reftel), which she indicated 
would be delivered in Chisinau by the Embassy. 
 
4.  (C) As Tarlev turned to his concerns about Russian 
meddling in the elections (see below), A/S Jones remarked 
that if the Russians can point to legitimate problems in the 
conduct of the elections -- such as the media access and NGO 
treatment issues we have pointed out -- it makes it harder 
for the U.S. to help.  A/S Jones urged Tarlev pointedly to 
take immediate, concrete steps to improve the transparency 
and farness of the elections. 
 
Russia:  Upset with Moldova 
----------------- 
5.  (C)  Tarlev said Moscow is upset with Moldova for several 
reasons.  Russia does not like Chisinau's goal of integration 
with the EU, its insistence that Russia keep its Istanbul 
commitments, or its statements calling illegal the presence 
of Russian troops on Moldovan territory.  Voronin's refusal 
to sign the Kozak document or -- more recently -- to support 
Yanukovich in Ukraine, have also soured ties with Moscow, he 
said.  Tarlev said Moscow recently sent "unofficial/illegal 
representatives" to Moldova, via Tiraspol, to interfere in 
the elections. He said they were sent with high quality 
electronic technology and were given $42 million in cash to 
"destabilize" Moldova.  Tarlev said Chisinau has told Moscow 
that if it wants to send observers to the elections, it can 
send as many as it wants, but should do so through the OSCE. 
Russia, he noted, has not responded.  Tarlev also claimed the 
Russians who had been sent included FSB agents and, when 
arrested, had no proof of legal registration. 
 
Worried about Russian Retaliation for Expulsions 
------------------------ 
6.  (C) Tarlev said authorities had found contracts signed by 
the expelled Russians, paying 6,000 Moldovans to demonstrate 
against the government.  He said Moldova is concerned now 
because of the recent Duma resolution urging a ban on 
Moldovan imports, disruption of energy supplies (or price 
hikes), and introduction of visa requirements (excluding 
Transnistria) for Moldovans to travel to Russia.  Tarlev said 
he had information that all the necessary decrees to 
implement these sanctions were already on Putin's desk. 
Tarlev went on at length about the "League of Moldova," the 
"Democratic Party" and the "Rodina Patria" party, all of 
which he claimed are supported by Russia.  The NGO "Coalition 
2005," he said, consisted 100% of opposition figures, and was 
also supported by Russia, he claimed.  He added that most 
Russian troops in the 14th army and among the Russian 
peacekeepers are, in fact, from Transnistria. 
 
Russia Still Pushing Kozak Document 
------------------------ 
7.  (C)  Tarlev next relayed that some two weeks ago, three 
Russian representatives came to Chisinau who claimed to have 
been sent by Putin to meet with Voronin.  They made an offer 
to the Moldovan President, Tarlev claimed:  all the Russian 
resources now directed against Chisinau, they said, would be 
used to support Voronin, if only he would sign the Kozak 
document. (Tarlev said they put the offer in writing and he 
could provide a copy.)  He said Voronin told them he never 
wanted to see them again. 
 
Close ties to Ukraine, and Romania 
-------------- 
8.  (C)  Turning to Ukraine, Tarlev said Moldova has 
excellent relations with the new cabinet in Kiev; he and PM 
Tymoshenko have agreed to meet, but are working to arrange a 
Voronin-Yushchenko summit first.  Voronin has offered to meet 
anywhere -- Kiev, on the border in Odessa, etc.  Tarlev said 
the Odessa governor is a Moldovan national who was born and 
lived in Moldova for 18 years.  He and Tarlev know each other 
through business ties as respective heads of 
producers/industrial associations.  Tarlev said Moldova also 
has good ties to the new Romanian government (Voronin had a 
good meeting with Romanian President just before Yushchenko's 
inauguration).  He described the new Romanian leadership as 
"pragmatic and constructive." 
 
9.  (C)  Tarlev asked A/S Jones to make sure Transnistria was 
on President Bush's agenda for his meeting the next day at 
NATO with Ukrainian President Yushchenko.  A/S Jones assured 
Tarlev the President was well aware of the issue, and the 
U.S. wanted to work closely with Kiev on border controls. 
 
Relations with the EU 
--------------- 
10.  (C)  Inter alia, Tarlev thanked the U.S. for its 
support, indicated Moldova and the EU would sign their 
"Action Plan" at their February 22 cooperation council 
meeting, and said he had good meetings with Solana and the 
Commission earlier on the 21st.  He said Moldova has "without 
question" chosen integration with the EU, and regretted the 
decade his country had lost by not making that choice 
immediately upon independence.  He said he is working on 
President Voronin to drop the word "communist" from the party 
name, and said he and FM Stratan represent a new generation 
of Moldovans who look to Europe and the West, and want a 
free, democratic Moldova. 
 
11.  (U) This cable was cleared by A/S Jones. 
 
MCKINLEY 
 
.