VZCZCXRO0741
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHRL #0303/01 0701912
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 101912Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0654
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MAR NATO EUN GM RS
SUBJECT: GERMANY/RUSSIA: MEREL GOES TO MOSCOW 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISER COUNSELOR JEFF RATHKE. REASONS: 1.4 ( 
B) AND D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Chancellor Merkel traveledto Moscow March 
8, becoming the first foreign leder to meet with Russian 
President-elect Medvede since his election a week ago. 
During her one-day visit, she also met and held a joint press 
confrence with President Putin.  At a March 10 de-briefing 
for the Berlin diplomatic corps, the Chancellery reported 
that both leaders covered a broad range of issues, including 
NATO enlargement, missile defense, Kosovo, the Baltic Sea 
pipeline, and human rights.  Merkel came away from her 
meetings convinced that Putin and Medvedev are a like-minded 
tandem, who will cooperate closely with one another.  The 
Chancellery said it expects mostly continuity in Russian 
affairs, with Putin to focus on domestic policy and Medvedev 
foreign policy.  In meetings with Merkel, both Putin and 
Medvedev expressed their interest in a strategic partnership 
with Germany and close relations with the EU.  END SUMMARY 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Chancellery expects continuity with Medvedev 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) In a March 10 Chancellery debriefing on Merkel's 
weekend trip to Moscow, Deputy National Security Advisor Rolf 
Nikel said the visit had served the dual purpose of bidding 
farewell to Putin and gaining a first-hand impression of 
Medvedev.  Merkel and Putin met first for about two hours, 
including lunch.  She then met President-elect Medvedev for 
around 75 minutes.  Merkel also gave a radio interview to an 
independent Russian station.  Nikel described the atmosphere 
as open, businesslike, and transparent.  In her meetings, 
Merkel came away with the impression that Putin and Medvedev 
are a like-minded tandem that coordinates closely.  Nikel 
said the Chancellery thus expected "a lot of continuity" in 
Russian affairs.  It appears that as PM, Putin will focus on 
domestic affairs, while President Medvedev will take care of 
foreign policy.  In his meeting with Merkel, Medvedev said he 
was very interested in progress on the rule of law in Russia 
as well as close relations with Germany and the EU.  Merkel 
invited Medvedev to come to Berlin. 
 
--------------- 
Missile Defense 
--------------- 
 
¶3. (C) According to Nikel, Putin once again made the case for 
a joint MD system with contributions from the U.S., Russia, 
and the EU.  He claimed, however, that the U.S. had rejected 
such a proposal.  Putin said that if MD components were 
installed in Poland and the Czech Republic, then a permanent 
Russian presence would be necessary in both countries.  In 
addition, Russia would react by targeting the MD sites with 
its own missiles.  Nikel saw an interest in the integration 
of Russia into MD plans.  MD must increase Europe's 
stability, Nikel said.  He was confident that for the NATO 
Bucharest Summit, a "reasonable communique" would emerge 
based on Defense Secretary Gates' proposals made at the 
February NATO Defense Ministerial in Vilnius. 
 
--------------------------- 
MAP for Ukraine and Georgia 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) President Putin confirmed his intention to attend to 
upcoming NATO summit in Bucharest.  While he argued strongly 
against extending the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) to 
Georgia and Ukraine at Bucharest, Putin promised Merkel not 
to express the Russian position as forcefully as he did 
against MD at the February 2007 Munich Security Conference. 
Nikel told the diplomatic corps briefing (which included 
representatives from EU members states as well as Turkey) 
that Germany regards MAP as premature for both countries at 
Bucharest.  (Comment: At her joint press conference with 
Putin, Merkel, in clear references to Ukraine and Georgia, 
mentioned the need for NATO membership to be supported by the 
population of the applicant country and for the applicant 
country to be "free from conflicts."  End Comment.) 
 
------------------- 
EU-Russia relations 
------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Nikel pointed out that both Putin and Medvedev 
expressed their interest in closer relations between Russia 
and the EU.  It was in the interest of both sides to open 
negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement 
(PCA) as soon as possible.  Nikel said the Chancellery 
considers the energy charter to be a fundamental part of the 
new PCA discussions and will approach negotiations from a 
standpoint of "reciprocity" when it comes to energy 
questions.  (Note: We understand the German Foreign Office 
 
BERLIN 00000303  002 OF 002 
 
 
would like to see the PCA on the agenda of the March 28-29 EU 
foreign ministerial.  End Note.) 
 
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Baltic Sea pipeline 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Nikel said Chancellor Merkel promised Putin to discuss 
the pipeline route and other open questions with the Swedes 
on the margins of the March 13-14 EU Summit in Brussels. 
 
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Human rights 
------------ 
 
¶7. (C) Merkel raised the Mikhail Khodorkovsky case, calling 
for better medical treatment of the former Yukos CEO.  She 
also hoped that Putin or Medvedev would consider a 
presidential pardon for Khodorkovsky.  (Note: At his joint 
press conference with Merkel, Putin unexpectedly raised the 
possibility that Medvedev might consider pardoning 
Khodorkovsky.  Merkel responded that Germany would welcome 
such a move.  End Note.)   Merkel also raised with Putin and 
Medvedev concerns about the treatment of NGOs in Russia.  She 
cited the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation (affiliated with 
Merkel's CDU party) as one foreign organization that sees its 
work increasingly impeded by Russian authorities. 
KOENIG