VZCZCXRO4464
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHNO #0351/01 1551409
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 041409Z JUN 07
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0930
INFO RUCNCFE/CONVENTIONAL ARMED FORCES IN EUROPE COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000351 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017 
TAGS: PREL PARM NATO OSCE KCFE
SUBJECT: CFE: VCC AND VCC EXPERTS' MEETINGS, MAY 16, 2007 
 
REF: A. STATE 65803 
     ¶B. AC/319-A(2007)0005 AND 0006 
     ¶C. AC/319-N(2007)0019 
     ¶D. AC/319-N(2007)0018 
     ¶E. AC/319-N(2007)0017 
     ¶F. AC/319-N(2007)0014(CFE) 
 
Classified By: Acting POLAD Scott Reid, for reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  At the May 16 VCC and VCC experts' meetings: 
 
a. The U.S. announced an upcoming Vienna Document inspection 
in Sweden during the time a Swedish exercise below Vienna 
Document thresholds will be conducted; 
 
b. Experts agreed to attempt to hold a NATO Vienna Document 
course in Central Asia; 
 
c. The U.S. obtained its goals for a one-year trial period 
for NATO internal coordination of Vienna Document 
inspections, and a revised paper will be circulated for 
further discussion and decision at the July 17 VCC; 
 
d. A new draft agenda for the 2007 VCC Seminar in October was 
circulated and will be discussed at the July 17 VCC meeting; 
 
e. During reports on conducted CFE inspections, the U.S. 
reported on its inspection at Kovrov in Russia the week of 23 
April; 
 
f. The U.S. points in reference A regarding documenting 
ambiguities and the definition of an inspection site were 
generally accepted with a request that the U.S. provide its 
precise language to the staff; 
 
g. U.S. points in reference to the start of the Residual 
Level Period, updates of the list of inspectors, and 
notification of new equipment were accepted by Allies; 
 
h. The next VCC and experts' meeting to address the above 
issues will be held on July 17.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) Allies announced the following upcoming Vienna 
Document inspections: 
 
    -- Bulgaria in Macedonia in week 27; 
 
    -- France in Cyprus 25-28 June; 
 
    -- Germany in Armenia in week 25; and 
 
    -- Hungary in Serbia 3-6 July by a bilateral agreement. 
 
¶3. (C)  Problems reported by allies during Vienna Document 
inspection visits: 
 
a. Germany reported that during a 16-21 February inspection 
in the Nakhichivan area of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijanis 
declared a special security zone with limited access along 
the Armenian border, and the Germans requested a common NATO 
approach to this without any real response (COMMENT: the U.S. 
has not experienced this problem before); 
 
b. During week 13, a Swedish inspection was refused by 
Uzbekistan with no reason given; and 
 
c. A Canadian inspection in Tajikistan, that had been 
originally denied with no reason given, was allowed to 
proceed on 23-25 April after senior-level diplomatic pressure 
was brought to bear. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Follow-up to Seminar for Central Asian Republics: 
The experts and the VCC agreed that the NATO School's Vienna 
Document course should be conducted in Central Asia in early 
2008, probably in Turkmenistan.  A lead nation is being 
sought. 
 
¶5. (C) Coordination of Vienna Document activities with 
non-Allies:  After distribution and presentation of a U.S. 
analysis regarding Vienna Document inspections from 2002 
through 2006 (reference A), experts accepted the idea of an 
internal NATO full coordination of Vienna Document 
inspections for 2008 on a trial basis.  The discussion by 
Allies revealed uncertainties whether a program similar to 
CFE-paired inspections should be initiated with selected 
partners during this trial (some Allies were concerned that 
in the CFE Pairing process, partners automatically get their 
inspection plans accepted).  Germany agreed to the trial 
idea, but reiterated that it thought that the next step 
 
USNATO 00000351  002 OF 002 
 
 
should be coordination with non-NATO partners in Vienna 
because "the Cold War is over."  COMMENT: this is reminiscent 
of a similar German push for coordinating CFE inspections at 
thirty that was rejected during the development of NATO 
positions for the adapted CFE Treaty.  The staff will prepare 
a new food-for-thought paper on the subject, to be discussed 
at the July 17 VCC and experts' meetings. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Voluntary CSBM on Military Exercises Below VD 99 
Thresholds:  Nothing was reported, however, during discussion 
of coordination of Vienna Document activities with 
non-Allies, the U.S. representative suggested that 
consideration be given to encouraging nations making such 
notifications to include a voluntary extra Vienna Document 
inspection quota. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Exchange of information on Open Skies:  Several 
Allies reported on recent Open Skies missions.  Poland noted 
that during a Polish Open Skies mission in April over Belarus 
and Russia, the Russian escorts were hostile and abusive 
about Poland's joining NATO. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Training:  The staff reported that permission has 
been given for South Korea to participate in the logistics 
course. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Preparations for the 2007 VCC Seminar:  The staff 
circulated a draft two-day agenda which includes all of the 
topics (see reference D) approved under silence.  This 
subject will also be on the July 17 VCC agenda. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Paired Inspections:  The staff announced that no 
one had yet responded concerning the Georgian request for 
paired inspections in September.  This topic will also be 
revisited on July 17. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Documenting Ambiguities, use of GPS during 
inspections, and definition of inspection site:  The staff 
announced that use of GPS had been approved under silence 
procedure.  After the U.S. representative responded per 
guidance on the use of digital cameras, the staff requested 
that the U.S. provide specific language for the previously 
circulated paper on this issue.  Similarly, after the U.S. 
representative executed guidance regarding the paper on the 
definition of an inspected site, the staff requested specific 
U.S. language. 
 
¶12. (U) POET issues:  The staff announced that, if silence 
was not broken by May 24, the latest POET paper would be 
forwarded to Vienna for use by the JCG-T. 
 
¶13. (U) Information exchange issues:  After the U.S. 
representative, per guidance, addressed past JCG-agreed texts 
on both dates for update lists of inspectors and transport 
crew members and the start date of the residual level period, 
Allies agreed that these resolved the issues raised by one 
Ally on these topics. 
NULAND