US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE1633

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 001633 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AC/CB, NP/CBM, VC/CCB, L/ACV, IO/S 
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISP 
JOINT STAFF FOR DD PMA-A FOR WTC 
COMMERCE FOR BIS (GOLDMAN) 
NSC FOR CHUPA 
WINPAC FOR FOLEY 
PARIS FOR SUE BREMNER AND ROZANNE OLIVER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, CWC 
SUBJECT: CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION (CWC): DISCUSSIONS ON 
RUSSIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS DESTRUCTION (CWD) ASSISTANCE 
 
This is CWC-67-03. 
 
1. SUMMARY:  ON THE MARGINS OF THE OPCW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 
(EC)-33, U.S. DELOFF PARTICIPATED IN MEETINGS RELATED TO 
RUSSIAN CWD ASSISTANCE THAT INCLUDED VIKTOR KHOLSTOV, THE 
RECENTLY APPOINTED DIRECTOR-GENERAL (D-G) OF THE RUSSIAN 
MUNITIONS AGENCY (RMA). U.S. DELOFF EMPHASIZED THE URGENT 
NEED FOR ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO DESTROY THE 
NERVE AGENT-FILLED ARTILLERY MUNITIONS STORED AT SHCHUCH'YE 
(PLANOVY) AND KIZNER. SHE ALSO URGED RMA PROGRESS ON THE 
PRACTICAL PLAN FOR RUSSIAN NERVE AGENT DESTRUCTION. CANADA 
AND UK REAFFIRMED THEIR INTENDED CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER THE G-8 
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP (GP) FOR RUSSIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS 
DESTRUCTION (CWD). HOWEVER, ITALY AND FRANCE REMAINED 
NONCOMMITTAL. CANADA AND UK REPS PLANNED TO OFFER GUIDANCE TO 
THEIR OFFICIALS PRIOR TO THE 30 JUNE GP SENIOR OFFICIALS 
GROUP (SOG) MEETING IN PARIS. 
 
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DONORS MEETINGS 
--------------- 
 
2. ON 23 JUNE, SUSAN RYAN, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF 
DEFENSE, COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION (CTR) POLICY, 
PARTICIPATED IN A DONORS MEETING, CHAIRED BY AMBASSADOR AREND 
MEERBURG, DUTCH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA).  OTHER 
PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED: CANADA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, EUROPEAN 
UNION (EU), GERMANY, ITALY, JAPAN, POLAND, RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
(RF), AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK).  THE PURPOSE OF THE 
MEETING WAS TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AMONG CURRENT AND 
POTENTIAL DONORS. 
 
3. PARTICIPATION OF NEW RMA D-G.  KHOLSTOV ACTIVELY 
PARTICIPATED THROUGHOUT THE MEETING.  HE WAS CORDIAL, 
COOPERATIVE, ACCOMMODATING AND APPEARED COMMITTED TO RUSSIAN 
CHEMICAL WEAPONS (CW) DESTRUCTION.  DURING HIS LATE MAY VISIT 
TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE SHCHUCH'YE CHEMICAL WEAPONS 
DESTRUCTION FACILITY (CWDF), KHOLSTOV WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE 
PROGRESS AND IS PREPARED TO "DO EVERYTHING REQUIRED" TO 
PREPARE THE CWDF TO BECOME OPERATIONAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT THIS WEEK HE PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE 
PROJECT PROPOSALS TO SELECT GLOBAL PARTNERS FOR THEIR 
CONSIDERATION.  (COMMENT: UNLIKE HIS PREDECESSOR WHO, AT 
TIMES, BECAME EMOTIONAL, KHOLSTOV REMAINED FOCUSED AND 
OUTWARDLY CALM WHEN DISCUSSING RUSSIAN CWD ISSUES. END 
COMMENT) 
 
4. GORNIY CWDF.  AFTER DESTROYING 400 METRIC TONS (MT) OF HD 
(DISTILLED MUSTARD), THE GORNIY CWDF WAS TEMPORARILY SHUT 
DOWN ON 29 APRIL 2003 FOR "FURTHER ACTIVITIES."  ON OR ABOUT 
20 JULY 2003, RMA PLANS TO OPERATE TWO DESTRUCTION LINES. 
THIRTY MT OF HD WILL BE DESTROYED MONTHLY ON ONE LINE.  THE 
OTHER LINE WILL DESTROY 8.8 MT OF LEWISITE PER MONTH. 
BLISTER AGENT STORED AT GORNIY SHOULD BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED 
IN 2005. 
 
5. KAMBARKA CWDF. CONSTRUCTION OF THE KAMBARKA CWDF IS 
SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETE BY 2005.  SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN ONGOING FOR THREE YEARS. 
RUSSIA HAS ALLOCATED OVER ONE BILLION RUBLES THIS YEAR FOR 
KAMBARKA. 
 
6. SHCHUCH'YE CWDF.  SUSAN RYAN STATED THAT U.S. DEPARTMENT 
OF DEFENSE (DOD), THROUGH THE CTR PROGRAM, IS SERIOUSLY 
CONSIDERING OBLIGATING ABOUT $60 MILLION IN PRIOR-YEAR CTR 
FUNDS FOR SHCHUCH'YE CWDF CONSTRUTION ACTIVITIES. SHE 
CAUTIONED THAT BEFORE THESE FUNDS COULD BE OBLIGATED, THEY 
FIRST MUST BE RENOTIFIED TO THE CONGESS.  IN ADDITION, AN 
AMENDMENT TO THE CTR CWD IMPLEMENTING AGREEMENT WOULD NEED TO 
BE CONCLUDED BY DOD AND RMA BEFORE THESE FUNDS COULD BE 
OBLIGATED.  RYAN EMPHASIZED THAT THIS POTENTIAL PLUS-UP WOULD 
BE INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL COST OF $887.3 MILLION FOR THE CTR 
SHCHUCH'YE CWDF PROJECT. SHE STATED THAT THE U.S. HAD ALREADY 
OBLIGATED $399 MILLION FOR DESIGN, SITE PREPARATION, AND 
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CWDF.  AFTER RYAN REVIEWED THE 
PROLIFERATION THREAT POSED BY CW STORED AT PLANOVY AND 
KIZNER, SHE SHOWED PHOTOGRAPHS OF CWDF CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS 
AND HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO 
FUND ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS COSTING OVER $130 
MILLION THAT ARE CRITICAL TO THE SUPPORT AND OPERATION OF THE 
CWDF.  SHE ALSO STATED THAT INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO 
CONSTRUCT THE $175-MILLION SECOND DESTRUCTION (DRILL, DRAIN, 
AND NEUTRALIZE) BUILDING AND TO TRANSPORT CW FROM KIZNER 
SAFELY AND SECURELY INTACT ARE ALSO URGENTLY NEEDED. 
 
7. CANADA.  UNDER THE GP, CANADA PLANS TO CONTRIBUTE 
APPROXIMATELY $240 MILLION (300 MILLION CANADIAN DOLLARS) 
OVER TEN YEARS TO RUSSIA CWD.  TREVOR SMITH OF CANADA'S GP 
PROGRAM SHARED CURRENT CANADIAN THINKING: PROVIDE 
APPROXIMATELY $24 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT THE RAILROAD BETWEEN 
PLANOVY AND THE SHCHUCH'YE CWDF; FUND WITH THE UK PART OF THE 
SECOND DESTRUCTION BUILDING AT SHCHUCH'YE (TOTAL ESTIMATED 
COST OF CONSTRUCTION, TRAINING, AND SYSTEMIZATION IS $175 
MILLION); AND, POSSIBLY CONSIDER FUNDING ENHANCED PHYSICAL 
SECURITY AT LEONIDOVKA. HE STATED THAT CANADA INFORMED RMA 
THAT OTTAWA WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TOWARD BUILDING A 
NEUTRALIZATION FACILITY AT LEONIDOVKA. 
 
8. UK. THE UK REITERATED ITS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED GP COMMITMENT 
TO PROVIDE, IN PRINCIPLE, UP TO $100 MILLION OVER TEN YEARS 
FOR RUSSIAN CWD. USING PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED FUNDING, THE UK, 
PARTNERED WITH NORWAY AND THE EU, IS PROVIDING EQUIPMENT TO 
OPERATE AN ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION THAT WILL SUPPORT THE 
SHCHUCH'YE CWDF. UK IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING PARTIAL FUNDING 
OF THE SECOND DESTRUCTION BUILDING AT THE SHCHUCH'YE CWDF. 
ON 2 JUNE 2003, BRITISH OFFICIALS INFORMED KHOLSTOV THAT THE 
UK WOULD NOT FUND THE PROPOSED NEUTRALIZATION FACILITY AT 
MARADYKOVSKIY.  (NOTE. ON THE MARGINS BRITISH REPS INDICIATED 
THAT KHOLSTOV EXPRESSED NO ANGER OR CONCERN OVER THE UK 
DECISION TO REJECT RMA'S PROPOSAL OFFERED UNDER PAK'S 
LEADERSHIP.  END NOTE.) 
 
9. ITALY.  ITALY STATED THAT THE GP-RELATED INFORMATION 
PROVIDED DURING THE 18 MARCH DONORS MEETING HAD NOT CHANGED. 
(COMMENT. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON THE POCHEP PROPOSAL. 
END COMMENT.) ITALIAN REP ANNOUNCED THAT ITALY RECENTLY 
SIGNED AN AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE 5 MILLION EUROS TO FUND 
ADDITIONAL GAS PIPELINE AT SHCHUCH'YE. 
 
10. FRANCE.  FRANCE WAS NOT REPRESENTED AT THE DONORS 
MEETING.  ON THE MARGINS OF THE EC, FRENCH DELEGATION MEMBER 
OLIVIER BOULARD STATED THAT FRANCE'S PLANS, UNDER THE GP, 
APPEAR TO BE "SECRET," AS HE HAS NOT HEARD ANY INFORMATION 
SINCE EARLIER THIS YEAR.  (COMMENT. BOULARD SOON IS RETURNING 
TO PARIS AND INDICATED HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT WILL INCLUDE GP 
ASSISTANCE-RELATED ISSUES.) 
 
11. GERMANY.  GERMANY PLANS TO PROVIDE 24 MILLION EUROS IN 
2003 FOR "TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT" FOR KAMBARKA. 
 
12. JAPAN.  JAPANESE REP REITERATED THAT TOKYO WILL PROVIDE 
ONLY ASSISTANCE FOR THE DISMANTLEMENT OF RUSSIAN NUCLEAR 
SUBMARINES.  JAPAN DOES NOT INTEND TO CONTRIBUTE TO RUSSIAN 
CWD OWING TO ITS CWD RESOURCES DEDICATED TO DESTRUCTION OF 
ABANDONED CW IN CHINA. (COMMENT.  NONETHELESS, JAPAN IS 
ROUTINELY REPRESENTED AT THE DUTCH-LED RUSSIAN CWD DONORS 
MEETINGS.  END COMMENT.) 
 
13. EU.  THE EU JOINT TASK ACTION PROGRAM IS PROVIDING 
ASSISTANCE TO THREE CWDFS, IMPLEMENTED THROUGH SPECIFIED 
MEMBER STATES-GERMANY AT GORNIY AND KAMBARKA, THE UK AT 
SHCHUCH'YE.  EU REP MENTIONED THAT THE 20-21 NOVEMBER 2003 
CONFERENCE IN STRASBOURG, FRANCE WILL INCLUDE EU 
PARTLIAMENTATIANS AS WELL AS THOSE FROM GP STATES. 
 
14. THE CZECH REPUBLIC.  CZECH REP ANNOUNCED THAT PRAGUE 
INTENDS TO MAKE A "MODEST" CONTRIBUTION TO RUSSIAN CWD USING 
THE EU JOINT TASK ACTION MECHANISM BUT DID NOT ELABORATE. 
LATER TEREZA STEFKOVA INDICATED THAT ASSISTANCE FOR 
SHCHUCH'YE IS BEING CONSIDERED BUT DID NOT DIVULGE THE 
FUNDING AMOUNT. 
 
15. THE NETHERLANDS.  THE DUTCH PLAN TO PROVIDE 2 MILLION 
EUROS PER YEAR FOR KAMBARKA.  THEY ARE CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL 
TO PROVIDE POWER FOR KAMBARKA. 
 
16. RMA-HOSTED DONORS COORDINATION MEETING. MEERBURG 
SUGGESTED THAT AS COORDINATION OF SITE-SPECIFIC PROJECTS 
BECOMES MORE COMPLEX, THE RF COULD HOST TECHNICAL 
COORDINATION MEETINGS.  KULEBYAKIN'S REACTION, A MUMBLED 
"WE'LL CONSIDER IT," WAS QUICKLY OVERTAKEN BY KHOLSTOV'S 
RESPONSE, "WE ARE PREPARED AT ANY TIME TO HOST A DONORS 
COORDINATION MEETING IN MOSCOW." 
 
17.  NEXT DUTCH-LED DONORS MEETING.  THE NEXT DUTCH-LED 
DONORS MEETING WILL BE IN THE HAGUE ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2003. 
 
18. INTERNATIONAL CWD CONFERENCES IN 2004.  JAMES HARRISON, 
UKMOD, ANNOUNCED THAT THE NEXT NONPROLIFERATION AND 
DISARMAMENT COOPERATION INITIATIVE (NDCI) CONFERENCE WILL 
TENTATIVELY BE HELD IN FEBRUARY 2004 IN LONDON. HE ALSO 
ENCOURAGED WIDER PARTICIPATION IN THE UKMOD-HOSTED CWD 
CONFERENCE TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED TO CONVENE NEXT MAY IN ST. 
PETERSBURG, RUSSIA. 
 
 
 
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BILATERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT PRACTICAL DESTRUCTION PLAN 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
19.  DURING AMBASSADOR JAVITS-HOSTED DINNER WITH RUSSIAN 
DELEGATES, RYAN, CITING DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 
LISA BRONSON'S RECENT LETTER TO RMA, ASKED KHOLSTOV ABOUT THE 
STATUS OF RECEIVING A COMPLETE PRACTICAL PLAN FOR NERVE AGENT 
DESTRUCTION THAT IS REQUIRED TO FULFILL ONE OF THE U.S. 
STATUTORY CWDF CONDITIONS. KHOLSTOV EXPLAINED THAT ON 11 JUNE 
HE PROVIDED A PLAN FOR SHCHUCH'YE TO A CTR REP IN MOSCOW. 
(NOTE.  THE PLAN HAD YET TO BE PROVIDED TO CTR POLICY. END 
NOTE.) AFTER RYAN CLARIFIED THE U.S. REQUIREMENT FOR THE 
PLAN, KHOLSTOV STATED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE 
THE PLAN OWING TO UNCERTAINTY ABOUT ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL 
ASSISTANCE FOR NERVE AGENT DESTRUCTION.  RYAN SUGGESTED RMA 
DEVELOP A PLAN THAT INCLUDES RUSSIAN FUNDING AS WELL AS KNOWN 
U.S. AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND HIGHLIGHT 
PROJECTS/AREAS THAT ARE UNFUNDED.  SHE EXPLAINED THAT THIS 
APPROACH WOULD NOT ONLY HELP TO SATISFY ONE OF THE CONDITIONS 
BUT COULD SERVE AS A MECHANISM TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL 
ASSISTANCE. 
 
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ENCOURAGING ADDITIONAL GP ASSISTANCE FOR SHCHUCH'YE 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
20. NEXT STEPS TO ENCOURAGE GP ASSISTANCE. THE 30 JUNE GP SOG 
MEETING WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SHCHUCH'YE DONORS TO 
ENCOURAGE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER GLOBAL 
PARTNERS.  CANADA AND UK REPS PLANNED TO OFFER A SIMILAR 
RECOMMENDATION TO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES PRIOR TO THE 30 JUNE 
GP SOG MEETING IN PARIS. 
 
21. JAVITS SENDS. 
 
SOBEL