VZCZCXRO9588
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHTL #0567/01 1660616
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 150616Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8735
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 5047
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2418

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TALLINN 000567 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV FI RS EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA HOSTS HIGH-LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE 
NORTHERN DIMENSION 
 
 
TALLINN 00000567  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. On June 9, the Finnish and Estonian MFAs 
co-hosted in Tallinn a major conference on a renewed 
Northern Dimension (ND) to enhance regional and cross- 
border cooperation.  High level speakers, including the 
Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, 
participated in the event.  The conference reviewed the 
ND?s achievements to date and upcoming priorities for 
the ND during the Finnish EU Presidency and beyond.  The 
Finns, supported by the Estonians, expressed a strong 
interest in giving the Northern Dimension a higher 
profile in the EU ? Russia relationship.  The Russians 
were cool to the idea.  End Summary. 
 
RENEWING THE ND'S MANDATE AND DIRECTION 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Since its launch by Finland in 1997 and 
incorporation into EU policy in 1999, Estonia has viewed 
the ND as an important tool for encouraging regional 
growth and development through infrastructure 
development, as well as a means of promoting cross- 
border cooperation with Russia.  To date the ND has been 
centered on encouraging regional cooperation in the 
following areas: improving economic, business, 
infrastructure relations; improving educational and 
cultural ties; furthering science, technology, and 
research (STR) relations; coordinating and cooperating 
in environmental safety (including nuclear safety and 
natural resources protection); coordinating on cross- 
border cooperation and regional development; and working 
to better harmonize differing legal traditions and 
framework.  The ND has operated within the framework of 
the EU?s Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with 
Russia. 
 
¶3. (U) During the June 9 conference Finnish Foreign 
Minister Erkki Tuomioja made clear the Finns see the 
renewal of the ND as a priority during their EU 
Presidency.  Tuomioja reminded the audience that coming 
out of last November?s ND Ministerial Meeting there was 
consensus that Northern Dimension policy would be "the 
regional expression in the North of Europe of the four 
Common Spaces and their road maps, agreed at the May 
EU/Russia Summit."  The ND's current action plan ("AP- 
2") is set to expire at end of 2007.  When it does, 
Tuomioja said it would be replaced by a Framework 
Document "permanent in nature, and of a more political 
character than the action plans."  A first draft of the 
document, prepared by the European Commission, has been 
revised to incorporate Russia's concerns.  The GOF hopes 
to have an agreed text ready for adoption at the EU- 
Russia Summit in December. 
 
¶4. (U) FM Tuomioja outlined seven key areas for progress 
on the ND during Finland's upcoming EU Presidency: 
 
- Ensuring ownership of any ND policy by all member 
states. 
- New and strengthened mechanisms to ensure efficient 
implementation and follow-up of ND policy. 
- Additional financing for environmental partnerships. 
- More political and financial contributions towards the 
health and well-being partnerships. 
- An expansion of new partnerships, particularly in 
transport and logistics in the region. 
- The inclusion of energy matters under the ND (one 
example being the inclusion of small and medium sized 
energy efficiency projects in NW Russia into the 
environmental partnerships). 
 
RUSSIAN CONCERNS 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Sergey Ryabkov, Russian Federation MFA Director 
for European Cooperation, outlined clear areas of 
Russian disappointment in the ND.  While the GOR 
supports the ND's objectives, Ryabkov took issue with FM 
Tuomioja's description of it as an "under-rated success 
story."  He offered three principal criticisms. First, 
the ND is in danger of becoming too large and unwieldy. 
The desire by the Finns and other member states to 
expand the number and area of partnerships would only 
worsen the problem.  Second, the ND needed financial 
resources of its own, rather than be dependent upon a 
hodge-podge of financial backers (the EC, member states, 
municipalities, local government, etc.).  Third, Partner 
Countries were not adequately consulted or engaged in 
the decision making process.  GOR opinion wasn't taken 
into account during the negotiations and crafting of 
 
TALLINN 00000567  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
ND's first and section action plans, since they were 
considered EU policy. 
 
¶6. (U) Rybakov argued that ND needed to be radically 
rethought and restructured.  Partnerships created in the 
framework of ND should be re-prioritized and modeled 
after the ND Environmental Partnership, which the GOR 
considers a real success story.  Inefficient 
partnerships, such as the ND partnerships for Health and 
Well-being, needed radical overhaul. 
 
¶7. (U) Consequently, Rybakov said the GOR desires a 
concise Framework document that clearly states the ND's 
objectives, and identifies the necessary structures for 
achieving them, without redefining priorities set in the 
Guidelines.  Moreover, Rybakov proposed that ND 
Ministerial meetings take place on a biennial (rather 
than annual) basis, with senior official meetings every 
alternating year (or when necessary).  Real work could 
be carried out by a Steering Group that would meet at 
least three times a year.  All of this would be 
coordinated by an ND Secretary, rotating among member 
states for a one year period (and funded by the member 
state acting as Secretary). 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment:  The Estonians are clearly interested 
in seeing a renewed Northern Dimension during the 
Finnish Presidency.  A number of Finnish and Estonian 
MFA officials commented privately during the conference 
that they hoped to see the ND become the northern 
equivalent of the Barcelona Process.   There was some 
concern that the Russians were attempting to 
preemptively water down the ND in both substance and 
profile and that Russian calls for greater efficiency 
and a rotating ND secretariat were simply a canard. 
 
WOS