US embassy cable - 05BRUSSELS2607

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 002607 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA, AND EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, PBTS, PHUM, PGOV, MD, EUN, OSCE, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EU LUKEWARM ON IDEA OF MOLDOVA CONFERENCE 
 
REF: STATE 125824 
 
Classified By: USEU POLOFF LEE LITZENBERGER; REASON 1.4 (B,D) 
 
1.  (C)  Summary.  The initial EU response to reftel demarche 
is lukewarm, although member states will need to be consulted 
for an official response.  The EU will likely be most 
supportive of a conference whose participants include at 
least Russia and, ideally, Transnistria as well.  The EU 
suggested that it would be helpful for SNEC Ambassador Mann 
to contact EUSR Jacobovits directly, as Jacobovits might be 
more hesitant about attending a conference than would member 
states.  The EU is very concerned with Moldova's draft law on 
the status of Transnistria, and EU HighRep Solana may call 
Voronin.  End summary. 
 
EU Lukewarm to idea of Moldova Conference 
---------------------- 
2.  (C)  USEU poloff presented reftel demarche on U.S. 
support for a multilateral conference on Transnistria to 
Pirkka Tappiola, Council Secretariat senior advisor for 
Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova on July 7.  Tappiola said the EU 
is operating on the principle that a solution of the 
Transnistria issue is not possible without Russia.  The EU 
would prefer that Transnistria be invited to the conference. 
Alternatively, the EU would support a conference of the 
mediators only.  If, however, Transnistria is not invited or 
declines to attend, the EU would then see Russian 
participation as essential.  Tappiola asked to be informed of 
Moscow's reaction to the conference proposal. He said he 
would share the US non-paper with member states in Brussels 
and get back to us.  He suggested that SNEC Ambassador Mann 
contact EUSR Jacobovits directly on this idea soon, 
commenting that Jacobovits might be more reluctant to attend 
a conference that did not include Transnistria than member 
states would be.  He implied that, should Russia also decline 
to participate, EU member states would question the utility 
of the conference.  Tappiloa declined to go into further 
detail on the conditions that would be necessary for EU 
participation in the conference, but implied that member 
states will want assurances that a conference will complement 
ongoing efforts to resume negotiations, and not complicate 
matters further. 
 
EU still focused on 5-sided talks 
-------------- 
3.  (C)  Tappiola explained that the EU continues to work 
toward gaining Russian agreement to hold a "five-sided" 
meeting of the three mediators (OSCE, Ukraine, Russia) and 
the U.S. and EU.  The latest EU thinking is that a direct 
approach to the Transnistrian leadership could facilitate 
Russia's acquiescence, citing recent reports from OSCE HOM 
Hill indicating a softening of Transnistria's position.  The 
EU welcomed the Ukrainian plan, with all its faults, in that 
it signals greater engagement by Kiev.  EU HighRep Solana 
will visit Kiev on July 19, in part to press Ukraine to take 
decisive steps to control its border with Transnistria. 
 
EU Concern over Moldova's Status Law 
------------------- 
4.  (C)  Tappiola said the EU was "very worried" about 
Moldova's draft law on the status of Transnistria, and EU 
High Rep may call Voronin about the issue soon.  The EU, 
Tappiola said, would understand if Voronin had sought from 
Parliament a negotiating mandate for talks with Transnistria, 
but a detailed final status law that includes designation of 
who will run Transnistria amounts to an unhelpful unilateral 
act that Tiraspol is likely to reject. The result will be to 
move the whole process "ten steps backward," he said.  The 
EU's understanding is that Voronin hopes to have the law 
passed by mid- to late-July.  Hence the possibility of a 
Solana-Voronin call soon, as a damage-limitation measure. 
 
Jacobovits visit to Washington 
----------------- 
5.  (C)  Tappiola took the occasion to convey EUSR 
Jacobovits' desire to visit Washington the week of August 
8th, if meetings could be arranged with EUR A/S Fried and 
other appropriate officials at State and the NSC. 
Alternatively, Jacobovits could travel in late August/early 
September if Washington interlocutors are unavailable in 
early August. 
 
MCKINLEY 
.