VZCZCXRO4124
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHKV #4413/01 3341556
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 301556Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0526
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KYIV 004413 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/UMB, EUR/RPM, AND EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO EUN XH ZB ZK UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: INFORMAL POLITICAL DIRECTORS' MEETING - 
EU/NATO RELATIONS, REGIONAL CHALLENGES 
 
REF: A. STATE 173318 
     ¶B. LOGSDON/UKRAINE DESK 8/30/06 E-MAIL 
     ¶C. KIEV 10 
 
KYIV 00004413  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador for reasons 1.4(b,d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  In what the Ukrainian MFA would like to see 
morph into a regular informal gathering, political directors 
from select EU countries and countries of the 
"Baltic-Black-Caspian seas" region, along with EUR A/S Fried, 
discussed Ukraine's relationship with the EU and NATO and 
exchanged views on regional issues.  When Ukraine's 
representative complained that the EU's European Neighborhood 
Policy put Ukraine into a "sandwich" zone between the EU and 
NATO, on one side, and Russia on the other, A/S Fried urged 
Ukraine to utilize fully all the opportunities available to 
it.  On regional issues, he pushed back against Ukrainian 
worries that Kosovo independence would be exploited as a 
precedent for other conflicts.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Comment:  The November 16 meeting, the first of its 
kind, was well received and, partly due to A/S Fried's early 
acceptance, well attended.  The meeting reinforced Ukraine's 
interest in playing a regional leadership role.  What exactly 
prompted DFM Andriy Veselovsky to convene this political 
directors' (POLDIR) meeting, however, and its underlying 
rationale are unclear, but the initiative has several 
possible antecedents.  First, the agenda and active 
discussion during the October 4-5 Enhanced Partnership in 
Northern Europe (E-PINE) gathering in Kyiv (ref A) could have 
inspired Veselovsky to hold a similar meeting with 
participants expanded beyond Baltic and Nordic participants 
and under Ukrainian auspices.  Second, as one Kyiv-based 
diplomat noted, the gathering had much the same participants 
as the Ukraine-sponsored "Community of Democratic Choice" 
summit (ref C), except for the Balkan countries.  (In 
response to A/S Fried's suggestion, however, Veselovsky 
promised to consider Balkan countries' inclusion at the next 
session.  Veselovsky also suggested Belarus might be invited 
in the future.)  Third, the session on frozen conflicts was 
not inconsistent with the proposal that Ambassador at Large 
for Conflict Settlement Oleksiy Rybak floated (ref B) for a 
permanent "forum for unofficial contacts and consultations 
concerning global challenges."  End summary/comment. 
 
Format and Purpose 
------------------ 
 
¶3. (U) Veselovsky welcomed participants, saying the Ukrainian 
MFA had invited directors of the political departments of 
Foreign Ministries of "Baltic-Black-Caspian seas" region, the 
EU, U.S., and Russia in the hope of holding an informal 
"brainstorming" session on matters of mutual concern. 
(Later, Veselovsky said Armenia had pulled out at the last 
minute and Russia had refused to send anyone other than a 
locally assigned diplomatic observer.)  The discussion would 
be under Chatham House rules and focus on EU and NATO 
relations with its neighbors and developing mutual approaches 
to issues affecting regional developments such as enhancing 
democracy, rule of law, and human rights; transnational 
threats; and frozen conflicts. 
 
¶4. (U) Veselovsky said the Ukrainian MFA hoped to hold such 
meetings twice yearly, either as a host or with another 
country hosting.  Lithuania Undersecretary Zygimantas 
Pavilionis later offered also to host and suggested the 
gathering be dubbed a "Friends of Ukraine" meeting along the 
lines of similar groups in support of countries like 
Bulgaria, Moldova, and Georgia.  Ukraine had invited 
representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Czech 
Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Turkey, plus the 
European Union (Council, current, Finnish, and next, German, 
presidencies) and the U.S.  Names of participating political 
directors are in para 10. 
 
NATO/EU Relations - A Sandwich Region? 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ukrainian MFA Acting Director for Political Affairs 
Oleksandr Tsvietkov led the discussion on "macro 
developments" and the process of European integration by 
noting that the EU "European Neighborhood Policy" (ENP) had 
led to creation of a set of second-class countries that did 
not have definite prospects for EU membership sandwiched 
between the EU and NATO, on the west, and Russia, in the 
east.  He said his comments were based on two key phrases: 
"partners are not the same as allies" and "dialogue is not 
the same as multinational planning and exercises."  Ukraine 
 
KYIV 00004413  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
looked forward to establishing a free trade area with the EU 
after entering the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Ukraine 
also hoped to develop a "new European type of association" in 
the new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) or "PCA 
plus" that would be govern Ukraine-EU relations over the next 
ten to fifteen years. 
 
¶6. (C) EU members rebutted Tsvietkov's complaint that Ukraine 
had been relegated to a "sandwich" zone.  Head of the 
European Commission Delegation to Ukraine Ian Boag, while 
acknowledging that the EU had suspended admission of new 
members, argued that the ENP allowed integration of countries 
short of actual membership.  Emphasis on the unattainable was 
injurious to the Ukraine-EU relationship.  Representatives of 
Germany, Finland, Slovakia, and Lithuania stressed the 
importance of Ukraine to the region.  German Special Envoy 
Hans-Dieter Lucas affirmed that Germany would emphasize the 
"eastern dimension" during its EU presidency (starting in 
January 2007), while Finnish Director General Pilvi-Sisko 
Vierros-Villeneuve noted that an emphasis on the eastern 
dimension had been natural for Finland while holding the 
current EU presidency.  Noting the U.S. takes no view on EU 
membership issues, A/S Fried recalled the NATO expansion 
process in the early 1990s, when countries had complained 
that the NATO Partnership-for-Peace (PfP) program had been a 
substitute for actual membership; in fact, PfP had been an 
avenue to eventual NATO membership.  Countries like Ukraine 
should take advantage of all the opportunities presented to 
them. 
 
Regional Flashpoints 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) In the second half of the meeting, Tsvietkov explained 
the relevance to Ukraine of the "micro-developments" on the 
agenda: the south Caucasus, Belarus, Transnistria, 
Balkans/Kosovo, and the Black Sea region.  Developments in 
these areas could have a direct impact on Ukraine.  He 
proposed that a special international conference be held on 
ways to settle regional conflicts, including in the south 
Caucasus.  Tsvietkov argued the precedent of Kosovo's 
independence could damage existing rules applying to other 
conflicts in the region.  On Belarus, Tsvietkov urged support 
for greater people-to-people contacts.  Veselovsky said the 
Black Sea should follow the precedent of the Baltic Sea in 
not becoming an arena for regional rivalries. 
 
¶8. (C) The Azerbaijan, Georgian, and Moldovan representatives 
focused their comments on the conflicts on or near their 
territory: Nagorno-Karabakh for Azerbaijan, South Ossetia and 
Abkhazia for Georgia, and Transnistria for Moldova.  Georgian 
Policy Planning Director Temur Keeklidze and others stressed 
the importance of promoting economic development and economic 
linkages to conflict areas.  A/S Fried said, with respect to 
Kosovo, there was no choice of best options and Belgrade had 
tacitly recognized Kosovo's future status when it had 
excluded Kosovo Albanians from the recently concluded 
constitutional referendum.  Since Chatham House rules 
applied, Fried provided the latest USG perspective on Kosovo. 
 He also stressed that the international community should not 
allow some countries, by insistent repetition, to make the 
claim that Kosovo was a precedent for any other conflict. 
 
¶9. (U) A/S Fried did not have the opportunity clear this 
cable. 
 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶10. (U) Following is the list of respective Foreign 
Ministries attendees besides European Commission delegation 
head Ian Boag and the Ukrainian hosts.  Names of Kyiv-based 
diplomats have been omitted. 
 
Azerbaijan 
- Mr. Tofig Musayev, Foreign Policy Planning and Strategic 
Studies Department 
- Mr. Galib Israfilov, Security Affairs Department Division 
Director 
 
Bulgaria 
- Mrs. Maya Dobreva, Europe III Directorate European States 
Department Director 
- Mrs. Nina Simova, Foreign Policy Planning and Coordination 
Directorate State Expert 
 
Czech Republic 
- Mrs. Hana Hubaczkova, First Territorial Section Director 
General 
 
KYIV 00004413  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
Estonia 
- Mr. Aivo Orav, Political Department Director General 
 
Finland 
- Ms. Pilvi-Sisko Vierros-Villeneuve, Political Department 
Director General 
 
Georgia 
- Mr. Temur Kekelidze, Political Department Policy Planning 
Division Director 
 
Germany 
- Mr. Hans-Dieter Lucas, Special Envoy for Eastern Europe, 
Central Asia, and Caucasus 
 
Hungary 
- Mr. Zsolt Pataki, EU Foreign and Security Policy Department 
Director 
- Mr. Istvan Ijgyarto, EU Affairs 2nds EU Department 
Ambassador 
 
Latvia 
- Mr. Juris Poikans, Deputy Political Director 
 
Lithuania 
- Mr. Zygimantas Pavilionis, Undersecretary 
- Mrs. Vita Naujokaitite, Foreign and Security Policy 
Division Attache 
 
Moldova 
- Mr. Eugen Vizir, Analysis and Planning Division Director 
 
Poland 
- Mr. Wojciech Zajaczkowski, Eastern Policy Department 
Director 
 
Romania 
- Mr. Shtefan Tinca, Directorate General for Political 
Affairs Deputy Director General 
- Mrs. Magdalena Florescu Ciobataru, Directorate General for 
Political Affairs 3rd Secretary 
 
Slovakia 
- Mr. Miroslav Lajcak, Political Affairs Director General 
 
Turkey 
- Mr. Selim Kuneralp, Policy Planning Director General 
 
¶11. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website: 
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. 
Taylor