This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 001499 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/RPM AND INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2014 
TAGS: PARM MOPS LH
SUBJECT: CSBM BILATERALS GIVE LITHUANIA ADDITIONAL TOOL TO 
ASSUAGE RUSSIAN VDOC CONCERNS IN BALTICS 
 
REF: A. VILNIUS 1350 
     ¶B. USNATO 1040 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON OFFICER TREVOR BOYD 
FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary.  Lithuania has developed bilateral Confidence 
and Security Building Measure (CSBM) agreements in accordance 
with the 1999 Vienna Document of OSCE and CFE requirements 
with Russia, Belarus and its Nordic neighbors. For Lithuania, 
the bilateral agreements enhance military transparency and 
predictability and serve as additional mechanisms for 
building concrete cooperation between Russia and NATO. 
Lithuania signed a pair of bilateral CSBM agreements with 
Russia in 2001 that call for additional evaluation visits and 
exchanges of information between Lithuania's armed forces and 
Russian forces in the Kaliningrad Oblast.  Though its Vienna 
Document partners have rarely conducted visits under the 
auspices of the bilateral agreements, the GOL has utilized 
its bilateral agreement with Russia each year since 2002 to 
inspect units in Kaliningrad.  Lithuania proposed additional 
CSBM bilateral agreements with Russia in 2003 pertaining to 
the exchange of information and pre-notification of major 
military exercises in each country.  These proposals, to 
date, have received no response from the GOR.  Lithuania also 
signed bilateral CSBM agreements with Finland and Sweden in 
1998, and with Belarus in 2001.  The CSBMs established in the 
Vienna Document and the GOL's bilateral agreements provide 
sufficient opportunities for Russia to assuage any concerns 
it may have regarding national or NATO assets based on 
Lithuanian territory.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Lithuania and Russia signed two CSBM bilateral 
agreements in 2001 that go beyond the provisions of Chapter 
IX on Compliance and Verification of the 1999 Vienna Document 
(VDOC).  One agreement affords an additional evaluation visit 
to units in Lithuania and in the Kaliningrad Oblast above the 
quota of three inspections established in the VDOC.  The 
second agreement establishes an annual exchange of 
information about military forces in Lithuania and the 
Kaliningrad Oblast. 
 
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Summary of Lithuania's Inspections of Kaliningrad 
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¶3. (C) Lithuania has utilized its bilateral CSBM agreement 
with the GOR to inspect Russian military assets in the 
Kaliningrad Oblast since 2002.  Lithuania conducted the 
following inspections of the Kaliningrad region: 
 
-- A Lithuanian inspection team conducted an evaluation visit 
of the Seventh Motor Rifle Brigade on July 17-18, 2002. 
Following briefings by the brigade commander, the team 
visited the brigade museum, motor pool, firing range, and 
spoke with brigade personnel.  The team had the opportunity 
to count and photograph major weapons and equipment systems 
during the tour. 
 
-- A GOL team visited the 609th Motorized Training Regiment 
on December 8-9, 2003.  Following a briefing by the unit 
commander, the team visited the barracks, service facilities, 
main training areas, and motor pool.  The team had the 
opportunity to count and photograph major weapons and 
equipment systems during the tour. 
 
-- A Lithuanian inspection team conducted an evaluation of 
the 336th Naval Infantry Brigade on August 24-26, 2004. 
Following briefings by the brigade commander, the team 
visited the barracks, brigade museum, canteen and medical 
facilities.  The team had the opportunity to count major 
weapons and equipment systems during the tour. 
 
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Russian Inspections of Lithuania 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Russia began inspecting military assets stationed on 
Lithuanian territory pursuant to Vienna Document guidelines 
in 2004.  The first VDOC inspection by a Russian Federation 
team occurred on August 13, under the auspices of the GOL-GOR 
CSBM bilateral agreement. (NOTE:  A country may utilize 
either a bilateral agreement or provisions detailed in the 
Vienna Document itself to substantiate an inspection).  The 
inspection of elements of the Iron Wolf Motorized Infantry 
Brigade included a briefing by the unit's commander and a 
visit to brigade's barracks.  The team had the opportunity to 
count and photograph major weapons and equipment systems 
during the tour.  A Vienna Document inspection on October 
27-28, (reftel A) included Lithuanian army and air force 
facilities in Kaunas, Panevyzys, and Siauliai, including 
NATO's air policing assets at the Zokniai airfield. 
 
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GOL Seeks Additional CSBM Bilateral Agreements with Russia 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Lithuania proposed two additional CSBM bilateral 
agreements to Russia in May 2003.  The agreements call for an 
additional VDOC inspection per year, and the pre-notification 
of each country's largest annual military exercises.  Russia 
has not responded to the initiative. 
 
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Lithuania's CSBM Bilateral Agreements with Belarus 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6. (C) Lithuania signed four bilateral CSBM agreements with 
Belarus in 2001.  The agreements afford an annual exchange of 
information, an additional evaluation visit and inspection 
per year above VDOC quotas, and pre-notification of the 
year's largest military exercise within each country. 
Lithuania conducted evaluation visits in July, 2002 of the 
120th Motor Rifle Brigade stationed in Minsk, and of the 38th 
Mobile Brigade in Brest in July, 2004.  Belarus conducted an 
inspection visit of the Iron Wolf Motorized Infantry Brigade 
in Rukla, Lithuania on October 5-7, 2004. 
 
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Lithuania's Other CSBM Bilateral Agreements 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Lithuania signed a pair of CSBM bilateral agreements 
with both Finland and Sweden in 1998.  The agreements afford 
an additional evaluation visit and inspection above the VDOC 
quota per annum.  Both Finland and Sweden utilized their 
bilateral agreement to conduct an inspection in Lithuania in 
¶2002.  Finland sent an evaluation team to the Jonuso Radvilos 
infantry training regiment in Rukla, Lithuania.  Sweden 
conducted an evaluation of the Iron Wolf Motorized Infantry 
Brigade.  Lithuania is tentatively planning an inspection 
visit to either Finland or Sweden in 2005. 
 
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Comment 
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¶8. (C) Lithuania has developed a robust bilateral CSBM 
network that lends credence to its (and NATO's) argument that 
Russia, in particular, should utilize existing CSBM 
inspection mechanisms to assuage its concerns about military 
activities here.  The GOL seized the opportunity afforded it 
by Russia's 2004 inspections to illustrate to both its NATO 
allies and the GOR that Lithuania is willing to exceed the 
letter of the Vienna Document in its openness, flexibility, 
and transparency during CSBM inspections.  Lithuania will 
continue to push back against Russian pressure to establish 
special CSBM monitoring mechanisms. 
Kelly