VZCZCXRO6102
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHCH #1366/01 3181514
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141514Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5920
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHISINAU 001366 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2017 
TAGS: PREL PBTS OSCE KCFE MD
SUBJECT: SOVA: THE GOODWILL IS GONE 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michael D. Kirby for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  At a November 13 meeting we had requested to 
discuss the Moldovan decree on vehicle registration, Minister 
for Reintegration Sova lost no time in expressing his ire at 
Transnistrian "foreign minister" Litskai. Litskai had agreed 
to meet Sova by November 10, but instead had avoiding the 
meeting, and had not responded to Sova's written invitation. 
To make matters worse, in Sova's view, Litskai went to 
Abkhazia and issued statements about Moldova's aggressive 
occupation.  Sova was angry and disillusioned.  Sova did, 
however, appreciate the problems created by the GOM's 
vehicle-registration decree, and promised to work to change 
the aspects of this decree that had so angered Tiraspol.  End 
Summary. 
 
Disillusioned by the TN Negotiator Litskai 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) Amidst the promising atmosphere of the October 
informal 5 plus 2 gathering in Odessa, Sova and Litskai had 
agreed to meet by November 10.  However, this bilateral 
meeting failed to take place in the promised timeframe.  Sova 
explained to the Ambassador that he had sent a letter to 
Litskai proposing a meeting on November 9, and then another 
offering to meet on November 12.  Litskai went to Moscow and 
has yet to respond to Sova's letters.  Sova was angry about 
Litskai's inconsistencies.  He was irked that, after the 
positive atmospherics in Odessa, Litskai went to Abkhazia and 
issued statements about Moldovan aggression, calling the 
Moldovans occupiers.  Sova now did not want to talk to 
Litskai, and said he was even considering ending all contact 
with Litskai and working only with others. 
 
¶3. (C) Sova noted with interest that in Odessa, when Litskai 
spoke about being ready to negotiate, even on 
demilitarization, Russian 5 plus 2 negotiator Nesterushkin 
had nearly fainted.  Now Litskai's behavior, Sova stated, had 
changed completely.  Sova confirmed that the ultimate goal of 
the seven working groups was not just economic cooperation, 
but early steps towards a political settlement.  Without 
movement towards a political resolution, we should expect any 
cooperation to come to a halt. (Comment: While Sova and the 
GOM have every reason to be unhappy with Litskai, post has no 
doubt that Sova will maintain contact with Litskai.  End 
Comment.) 
 
Erratic Transnistrian Behavior 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Sova speculated that TN behavior was erratic because 
the leadership did not know what was going on and were unsure 
where Russia stood.  Indeed, according to Sova Tiraspol 
officials were now concerned that some kind of deal would be 
made behind their backs.  For that matter, Sova was also 
unclear where his own government stood on TN, as he had 
received no read out on last week's Voronin-Zubakov meeting. 
The Ambassador commented that he had requested a meeting with 
Voronin to learn more about the meeting with Zubakov.  (Note: 
See septel for the DCM's readout on the meeting from 
presidential advisor Tkaciuk.  End Note.) 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador noted that we were also getting 
inconsistent signals from the Transnistrian side and that no 
one should be surprised by that fact.  On Friday November 9, 
when the Ambassador met with Shevchuk, we had no problem 
crossing the TN checkpoints, while on November 13 a USAID 
official was turned back.  (Note: Subsequently we learned 
that the TN Ministry of Health dropped the ball on internal 
TN procedures for the travel.  End Note.) 
 
Vehicle Registration Decree Needs to be Changed 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6.  (C) The Ambassador and Minister Sova had a long, 
productive conversation on the unhelpful GOM decision on 
vehicle registration.  Sova was unhappy with the way the 
decision was taken (without his Ministry) and agreed that he 
would need to work to change those aspects of the decree that 
had so angered Tiraspol.  When the Ambassador raised the 2001 
Smirnov-Voronin protocol on recognizing each others' vehicle 
registration and drivers' licenses, Sova said that agreement 
was no longer germane. 
 
¶7. (C) The suggestions Sova made for improving the decree 
aimed at the heart of the complaints that we heard last 
Friday from Shevchuk and would do much to rectify the 
situation.  Sova said he would propose removing the clause 
barring TN vehicles from traveling outside of Moldova as of 
January 1, 2008, and remove the clause banning circulation of 
cars with TN plates from driving throughout Moldova.  On some 
issues, such as Tiraspol's registering 7-10 year-old cars and 
Chisinau residents driving TN-registered cars, the GOM would 
 
CHISINAU 00001366  002 OF 002 
 
 
not back down.  Some processes would, Sova said, be mandatory 
for people who live on the right bank and voluntary for those 
from the left bank. 
 
¶8. (C) Sova said he had already spoken to the Prime Minister 
and was assured a say in revising the decision.  (Note:  This 
decision appears to have been the brain child of Minister of 
Information Development Molojen.  Molojen lately has come up 
with a number of unhelpful initiatives which raise money but 
anger various groups, such as the need for importers of 
beverages to have special, costly stickers affixed to their 
product.  End Note.) 
 
Comment:  Two Steps Forward, How Many Steps Backward? 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶9. (C) After the heady optimism of the past few weeks 
following President Voronin's confidence-building proposals, 
GOM officials have taken a huge step backward.  GOM 
willingness to modify the vehicle-registration decree could 
help defuse the situation on the left bank.  Separately both 
Shevchuk and Smirnov have made comments that they will 
refrain from anti-right bank measures until the proposed 
vehicle-registration decree comes into force.  Similarly, if 
Litskai were to sit down with Sova in a constructive mode, 
that, too, could mollify the right bank.  In the meantime, we 
are facing an erosion of the recent goodwill. 
 
KIRBY