VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #0266/01 0321440
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 011440Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6371

UNCLAS MOSCOW 000266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE F FOR THE DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN ASSISTANCE, EUR/ACE 
AIDAC STATE FOR AID/E&E ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR DOUGLAS MENARCHIK; 
AID/E&E FOR BREWER, ROBINSON; AID/DCHA/OFDA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL KDEM RS
SUBJECT: New USAID Mission Director's January 24 Meeting with MFA's 
Konuzin on Partnering for Development 
 
Sensitive but unclassified, not for internet distribution. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) USAID's New Mission Director called on Alexander Konuzin, 
Director for International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) on January 24th to discuss the GOR's upcoming visit to 
the United States to learn about the USG approach to development 
assistance and identify areas of common interest for future 
partnering.  (Note: President Putin approved a plan on Russia's 
Participation in International Development Assistance on June 14, 
2007 -- a project often referred to as "RusAID").  The USAID 
Director noted that USAID's programs in Russia focus on partnership 
and collaboration, and that he will actively seek opportunities to 
expand cooperation.  Konuzin expressed his hope that Russia could 
benefit from USAID's experience in delivering international 
assistance and that the visit to Washington scheduled for February 
27-29 might serve as a basis for joint development efforts in third 
countries in the future.  Konuzin said this cooperation would be a 
strong step forward to compensate for more confrontational elements 
of the bilateral relationship.  End Summary. 
 
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FROM ASSISTANCE TO PARTNERSHIP 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) On January 24th, the newly arrived Mission Director in his 
meeting with Alexander Konuzin, Director for the Department of 
International Organizations at MFA, stressed the desire to identify 
areas of cooperative partnership where the United States and Russia 
can advance along a common trajectory.  Konuzin expressed deep 
appreciation for the assistance provided by the international 
community over the last 17 years, but noted that Russia is now 
becoming a donor country and that the environment has changed.  He 
explained that the GOR has begun to view itself as an international 
donor, albeit a modest one.  Waskin said he would look to the GOR to 
help USAID identify and expand areas of cooperation where our 
objectives coincide. 
 
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A RUSSIAN DEVELOPMENT AGENCY? 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The USAID Director reaffirmed USAID's earlier offer to 
support Russia's efforts to build its capacity for carrying out 
international humanitarian assistance and development activities and 
in particular to orchestrate a visit by the MFA, MinFin, and other 
interested GOR representatives to USAID in Washington.  Konuzin said 
the dates of February 27-29th that USAID had previously proposed 
were suitable and had been discussed with MinFin (Note: MinFin 
coordinates Russia's participation in multilateral development banks 
and is a central player in Russia's efforts to create a development 
agency.  There have been some differences of opinion between MFA and 
MinFin regarding the desired shape of the "RusAID" program). 
Konuzin noted that MFA and MinFin are still grappling with the 
effort to find a common vision for Russia's development agency or 
assistance mechanism, but plans are moving forward. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Konuzin said that Russia needs sound development models, 
observing that former Soviet attempts at assistance were not a good 
place to start.  Konuzin is particularly interested in how, in 
practical terms, assistance is organized, planned, funded, and 
implemented.  (Note: President Putin approved the concept paper for 
Russia's Participation in International Development Assistance on 
June 14, 2007.  Even before President Putin officially endorsed the 
project, USAID was working with relevant Russia ministries and other 
donors including the World Bank, UNDP, and DFID to jump-start the 
idea). 
 
¶5. (SBU) Konuzin said he believed that these joint efforts could 
pave the way for joint U.S.-Russian interventions in third countries 
when humanitarian and development situations warrant.  Konuzin said 
that he needs more examples of cooperative partnership such as this 
to counter-balance other challenges to the U.S.-Russia bilateral 
relationship.  Konuzin cautioned that Russia might not model all of 
its work on the U.S. experience, but emphasized that Russia will 
seek to learn from the U.S. experience and apply those lessons as 
appropriate. 
 
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COMMENT: BALANCING BETWEEN ENGAGEMENT AND PROGRESS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Approaches to advancing USG transformational development 
objectives are multifaceted in Russia, often benefiting with 
engagement with the host government at some level to achieve 
 
results.  In some areas such as anti-money laundering, partnerships 
with the GOR have yielded substantial results in reducing the threat 
of transnational crime.  In health, HIV/AIDS programs under the 
Presidential Bratislava Initiative have begun to develop the joint 
capacities necessary for Russia to be a strong contributor to 
fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa.  USAID programs to promote 
decentralized governance, fiscal reform, and community development 
have also been strengthened by USAID's relationship with local 
governments.  However, in other areas USAID must find a way to reach 
USG objectives of a vibrant civil society, a diverse media 
environment, and political pluralism without GOR support. 
 
¶7. (U) USAID/Russia will follow-up with USAID's Bureau for Europe 
and Eurasia regarding the visit planned for February 27-29.  Post 
anticipates that this visit will include, inter alia, calls on the 
Office of the Director of Foreign Assistance, the USAID 
Administrator's Office, EUR/ACE, USAID's Bureau for Europe and 
Eurasia, and the Office of Management and Budget. 
 
 
BURNS