Wikileaks - 09STATE95585

CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXRO5927
OO RUEHSL
DE RUEHC #5585/01 2581307
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 151248Z SEP 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 2317
INFO NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 3649
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 095585 
SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/14/2019 
TAGS: NATO, PREL, RU 
SUBJECT: ACTION REQUEST: POINTS TO RAISE WITH NATO-SYG ON 
SEPTEMBER 18 SPEECH ON RUSSIA 

REF: USNATO 383 

Classified By: EUR PDAS Nancy McEldowney for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 

1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 3. 

2. (C) Summary. As part of his efforts to revitalize 
NATO-Russia relations, NATO Secretary General Anders 
Rasmussen intends to deliver a major speech on Russia 
September 18 at the Carnegie Europe Center. There are 
concerns that SecGen intends to announce Alliance 
initiatives that have yet to be agreed upon by Allies and 
go beyond most Alliesī comfort zones, including possible 
official NATO engagement with the Collective Security 
Treaty Organization (CSTO)" (ref A). By unilaterally 
announcing new initiatives on behalf of the Alliance, 
SecGen risks undermining the Allianceīs consensus-driven 
approach to policy in an area where we have taken great 
pains to find a delicate balance. Department requests 
that Ambassador Daalder raise privately with SecGen the 
concerns outlined in paragraph 3 prior to SecGenīs speech, 
while emphasizing U.S. support for several areas of 
NATO-Russia cooperation (additional thoughts on NRC 
cooperation coming septel). End Summary. 

3. (C) The Ambassador should draw on the following points 
to raise privately with Secretary General Rasmussen. 
Begin points: 

-- Washington shares your goal of improving NATO-Russia 
relations; this is why we are focused on reaching 
agreement on the "Taking the NRC Forward" paper in order 
to outline priorities for future cooperation and improve 
the NRCīs effectiveness through structural reform. 

-- However, NATO decisions can only be taken by consensus. 
Failure to forge consensus among Allies prior to taking 
public positions undermines this consensus-based approach and 
runs the risk of sowing division within the Alliance, as well 
as between PfP nations in Central Asia and NATO. Alliesī 
voice and your voice as Secretary General will both be 
stronger if they are in unison. 

-- In your speech at the Carnegie Europe Center on 
September 18, we strongly urge you not to get ahead of 
Alliesī deliberations by announcing new NATO-Russia 
initiatives that have yet to be formally considered by the 
Alliance. 

-- In this vein, it would be premature to announce that 
NATO will begin official contacts with the CSTO. NATO has 
yet to formally discuss, let alone agree to, engagement 
with the CSTO. This will certainly require extensive 
review in many Allied capitals. Washington is currently 
reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of CSTO 
engagement in order to contribute to an informed debate 
when Allies do in fact begin discussions on this policy. 

-- We also encourage you to refrain from publicly calling 
for contingency planning. While the United States supports 
contingency planning, this is a matter of extreme sensitivity 
to many Allies, and we cannot take any decisions on this set 
of issues before consultations have run their course. We 
anticipate that the role of contingency planning, and the 
specific plans that are needed given the current security 
environment, will be central issues of discussion as we 
develop NATOīs new Strategic Concept. This is a matter of 
extreme sensitivity to many Allies, and we cannot take any 
decisions on this set of issues before consultations have run 
their course. 

-- Similarly, we believe that visiting Allied capitals before 
Moscow would benefit consensus building among all Allies and 
strengthen the relationship between Allies and the 
International Staff. Some Allies, the Baltic states in 
particular, have privately expressed to us their concerns 
about the optics of a trip to Russia prior to visiting their 
capitals. 

-- Your speech on Friday presents an important opportunity 
to highlight areas Allies have identified for future NRC 
cooperation. Allies agree on the need to revitalize the 
NATO-Russia Council and are actively working on giving the 

STATE 00095585 002 OF 002 

NRC new shape and substance, an important public relations 
point in and of itself. We strongly recommend that your 
remarks reflect Allied consensus. 

-- Thus, we urge you to tailor your remarks to emphasize 
growing practical coordination between the Alliance and 
Russia in specific areas within the NATO-Russia Council, 
including in 
Afghanistan; counter-narcotics projects in Afghanistan and 
Central Asia; efforts to address the threats posed by the 
proliferation of nuclear material; counter-piracy in and 
beyond the Horn of Africa; and counter-terrorism. 

End Points. 
CLINTON 

 2009-09-15 12:48 NATO
PREL (External Political Relations)
RU