US embassy cable - 03ROME2137

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 002137 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2013 
TAGS: PREL, EU, BO, OSCE 
SUBJECT: GOI AGREES ON NEED TO COORDINATE "STEP BY 
STEP"/BENCHMARKS PROCESS FOR BELARUS 
 
 
    REF: A) STATE 11642 B) MINSK 690 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN.  REASON: 1.5 (B)( 
D) 
 
1.  (C)  MFA RUSSIA OFFICE DIRECTOR ROSA ANNA CONIGLIO SAID 
THAT POINTS REFTEL, WHICH POLOFF ORIGINALLY DELIVERED MAY 6, 
WERE USED AS FOOD FOR THOUGHT AT THE EU COEST MEETING (AT 25) 
IN BRUSSELS THE FOLLOWING DAY.  SHE SAID THAT ALL EU MEMBERS 
AND ASPIRANTS AGREED - THE US "STEP BY STEP" AND EU 
BENCHMARKS PROCESSES WILL BE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE IF 
COORDINATION CONTINUES.  THE GOI AGREES THAT THE US AND EU 
MUST CONTINUE TO "KEEP THE PRESSURE ON" THE LUKASHENKO REGIME 
TO ENACT REAL, VERIFIABLE REFORMS.  EXCEPT FOR SOME MOVEMENT 
ON SECONDMENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER AT THE OSCE 
MISSION, THUS FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO PROGRESS, ONLY RHETORIC, 
FROM THE GOB. 
 
2.  (C)  CONIGLIO WONDERED IF NEWLY APPOINTED FM MARTYNOV, 
WHO HAS WORKED ON NATO AND EU ISSUES AND "KNOWS THE SCORE," 
REPRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRESS; A SIGNAL THAT THIS 
TIME MINSK WAS SINCERE IN ITS DESIRE TO REFORM.  POLOFF NOTED 
THAT MARTYNOV HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE, IN A LETTER TO THE 
SECRETARY AND MEETING WITH EU PRESIDENCY REPRESENTATIVES, TO 
 
SIPDIS 
THE "STEP BY STEP" AND BENCHMARKS PROCESSES.  HOWEVER, 
RECENT, CONTINUED GOB EFFORTS TO CRUSH FREE EXPRESSION AND 
THE WORK OF NGOS (REF B) IS A DISTURBING SIGN THAT THE 
HARD-LINERS REMAIN THE DECISION MAKERS IN MINSK.  CONIGLIO 
AGREED.  THERE COULD BE NO NEGOTIATION, EVEN WITH MARTYNOV, 
ONLY DIALOGUE.  ITALY WILL PUSH FOR LANGUAGE IN THE UPCOMING 
EU TROIKA STATEMENT ON BELARUS TO REFLECT JUST SUCH AN 
    APPROACH. 
SEMBLER 
 
NNNN 
 2003ROME02137 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL