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 BRUSSELS 000450 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL CVIS ECON UP XH IR USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU, UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS COMMENT ON ACTION PLAN, 
VISA FACILITATION, AND IRAN 
 
Classified By: USEU POLCOUNS LEE LITZENBERGER; REASON 1.4 (B,D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: In separate meetings, Ukrainian and EU 
officials discussed the status of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan 
and negotiations on a visa facilitation regime and 
readmission agreement.  Ukrainian embassy officials said 
their priorities with the EU in 2006 are to: 1)  launch 
consultations on a new EU-Ukraine agreement to replace the 
current one that expires in 2007; 2) negotiate a Free Trade 
Agreement with the EU; 3) implement a December 2005 
Memorandum of Understanding on energy security with the EU. 
Ukraine is also seeking visa facilitation steps from the EU 
much as the EU granted Russia last year. In return, the EU 
wants Ukraine to negotiate a re-admission agreement with 
Russia, which Ukraine says it needs EU help to achieve.  Kiev 
is also urging the EU to negotiate strategic airlift 
contracts directly with Ukrainian firms, and to fund 
destruction of toxic ammunition/fuel.  EU officials said 
Ukraine has also asked for "more time" to align itself with 
EU statements on Iran. End Summary. 
 
EU Action Plan; Domestic Politics 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On February 3, USEU Poloffs met with EU Council 
official Sofia Moreira de Sousa who reviewed the status of 
EU-Ukraine relations in advance of the February 6 EU 
Political Directors' meeting in Kiev. The focus of the 
discussion would be on domestic political developments in 
Ukraine in advance of the March elections.  The EU message on 
the domestic front would be to emphasize the importance of 
free and fair Parliamentary elections. While the outcome of 
the elections was uncertain, given the split in the reformist 
camp, the EU expected smooth elections, with both OSCE and 
European Parliament election monitors on the ground. 
 
¶3. (C) The meeting will also include a discussion of 
Ukraine's bilateral Action Plan under the EU's Neighborhood 
Policy. Progress on the Action Plan in 2005 was 
"considerable," de Sousa said, warranting the EU decision to 
grant Market Economy Status to Ukraine.  She added, though, 
that Ukraine had moved ahead on the "easier" components of 
the Plan and the EU was looking to Kiev to tackle the 
difficult parts as well.  Unfortunately, there has been no 
progress since December, due to the political crisis in 
Ukraine.  She added that, nonetheless, Ukraine can meet an 
additional Action Plan benchmark by successfully holding free 
and fair Parliamentary elections. 
 
¶4. (C) In a separate meeting, Ukrainian DCM to the EU 
Kostiantyn Yelisieiev told USEU that Kiev has three main EU 
goals for 2006:  1)  To launch bilateral consultations on a 
new enhanced agreement to replace the Partnership and 
Cooperation Agreement that will expire in 2007; 2) To launch 
negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the EU (but which 
requires agreement on WTO accession); and 3) To implement a 
Memorandum of Understanding on energy security negotiated 
last December, prior to the gas dispute with Russia. 
 
 
Visa Facilitation 
----------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Yelisieiev also raised Ukrainian aspirations for a 
visa facilitation agreement from the EU, in response to 
Ukraine's unilateral decision last year to offer visa-free 
entry to EU citizens. Expressing frustration at a perceived 
EU double-standard on its visa regime for Russia and Ukraine, 
the Ukrainian DCM asked USEU for help in convincing the EU to 
introduce visa facilitation program for Ukraine, as it has 
for Russia.  He emphasized that the EU should offer better 
visa facilitation terms than were granted to Russia, and 
ticked off the reasons:  "The EU should take Ukraine's 
unilateral step into account, Ukraine does not require the 
registration of foreigners, Ukraine has a good record on 
illegal immigrants, with bilateral readmission agreements 
with Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, and Ukriaine does not hav 
an open border with Russia."  The EU wants Ukraine to 
negotiate a readmission agreement with Russia, he said, and 
claimed the text was almost completely agreed.  The only 
thing lacking, he added, "is Russian political will.  And we 
need EU help to persuade Moscow to sign."  Realizing that 
Ukraine still has a "long way to go" on this issue, the DCM 
nevertheless said that his citizens need to see a "light at 
the end of the tunnel." 
 
¶10. (C) The EU version was slightly different.  Moreira de 
Sousa said that FM Tarasyuk wanted a visa facilitation 
agreement in place by the March elections.  She said that the 
Ukrainians have been negotiating this issue in good faith but 
that Member States are skittish on moving forward absent a 
Russo-Ukrainian readmission agreement.    Furthermore, Kiev 
is asking for border assistance from the EU on its eastern 
front with Russia, in addition to its western front with 
Europe, which the EU is not prepared to do.  In addition, EU 
member states are only prepared to  offer the same terms to 
Ukraine as were offered Russia. 
 
Strategic Airlift; Ammunition Destruction 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (C) Moreira de Sousa said that Ukraine has been lobbying 
the EU to negotiate contracts for use of Ukrainian transport 
aircraft directly with Ukrainian firms.  (At present, the EU 
has access to Ukrainian airlift assets through a NATO-EU 
contract to provide flying hours at short notice.)  Noting 
that the terms offered are cheaper than the current 
arrangement, Moreira de Sousa there was no political will at 
this time among Member States to accept it.  EU skeptics on 
the deal have noted that the Ukrainian Rada has not approved 
the proposed deal, and that the current arrangement ensures 
minimum maintenance and safety standards are met. 
 
¶12. (C) Ukraine has also sought EU assistance to destroy and 
cleam up toxic fuel and ammunition in Ukraine.  Citing an 
OSCE study which said that Ukraine does in fact need 
assistance in this area, de Sousa said that there was more 
traction to this proposal among Member States. 
 
Ukraine/Iran 
------------ 
 
¶13. (C) Moreira de Sousa said that the Ukrainian Mission in 
Brussels had asked for more advance notice whenever a 
forthcoming EU declaration on Iran was to be released so that 
Kiev could have sufficient time to coordinate its political 
alignment with the statement.  (Ukraine has agreed to align 
itself with EU foreign policy statements, as part of the 
Action Plan.)  This topic was brought up because de Sousa 
said Solana was distressed when Ukraine failed to align 
itself with an EU declaration on Iran last year.  Solana 
raised this issue at the December 1 Summit with Ukraine; he 
underlined that the international community needs to be 
aligned on this issue.  The Ukrainians responded that they 
needed additional time to coordinate alignment on Iran, which 
they said was a "sensitive" issue for Kiev. 
McKinley 
.