VZCZCXRO8471
PP RUEHAST RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVEN #0062/01 0671327
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071327Z MAR 08
FM USMISSION USOSCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5590
INFO RUCNOSC/ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0466
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 1026
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0966
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HQ USAFE RAMSTEIN AB GE//POLAD/XPXC//
RHMFISS/CDRUSAREUR HEIDELBERG GE
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ5-T/ECPLAD/ECCS//
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEASWA/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC//OSAE
RUESDT/DTRA-OSES DARMSTADT GE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5-DDPMA-E/DDPMA-IN/CAC//
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USOSCE 000062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR VCI/CCA, VCI/NRRC, EUR/RPM, EUR/PRA, SCA/CEN, 
SCA/RA, PM/WRA 
JCS FOR J5 
OSD FOR ISA (PERENYI) 
NSC FOR DOWLEY 
USUN FOR LEGAL, POL 
CENTCOM FOR CCJ5-C, POLAD 
UNVIE FOR AC 
GENEVA FOR CD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL OSCE KCFE XG
SUBJECT: OSCE 2008 HEADS OF VERIFICATION MEETING: GERMAN 
HEAD REPEATS CALL FOR INSPECTION COORDINATION IN VIENNA 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: At the March 3 meeting of Heads of 
Verification (HOV), discussion of implementation matters 
extended into the policy arena, as had been anticipated after 
the 2007 HOV meeting, when the German verification head 
called for Vienna Document 1999 (VD99) inspection 
coordination in Vienna.  Much of the discussion in the HOV 
anticipated the agenda of the Annual Implementation 
Assessment Meeting (AIAM), held March 4-5.  Subjects examined 
included a German proposal to address the annual VD99 
inspection "quota race," a Schengen visa for non-Schengen 
inspecting States, a best practices guide for conducting air 
base and military facilities visits and new equipment 
demonstrations, and the role of OSCE "assistants" in the 
Article IV (Dayton Peace Accords) verification regime.  End 
summary. 
 
Germany Divided Again? 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The German head of verification, Brigadier General 
Winfried Mertens, while urging consideration of Germany's 
proposal to reorganize the VD99 inspection calendar to avoid 
the annual "quota race" (FSC.DEL/51/08), also criticized 
coordination of VD99 verification events at NATO.  Recalling 
his intervention at the 2007 HOV meeting, he urged more 
effective use and harmonization of quotas through 
consultations in Vienna.  Mertens said participating States 
(pS) should be able to coordinate in Vienna so that each 
receives its "fair share" of quotas within a two- or 
three-year period.  This would be preferable to "coordination 
in smaller groups elsewhere . . . where everybody is not 
there and are left out of the process."  (Comment:  It is not 
clear that Mertens' recommendation reflects a coordinated 
position within the German government.  End comment.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) In response to Germany, Russia (Zabello) noted that 
inspection quotas of only 21 participating States had been 
exhausted last year and that quotas for only four 
pS--Georgia, Russia, UK, and the U.S.--were exhausted in the 
first two months of the calendar year.  (Note: Later, during 
an intervention at the AIAM, Russia mentioned the same 
statistics but made clear that they were in reference to VD99 
evaluation quotas.  End note).  Only 54 of a potential 104 
(59/114?) inspections were conducted. 
 
Schengen Visas for Non-Schengen Inspectors 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Finland suggested a common visa be issued to 
non-Schengen inspecting pS for inspections conducted in 
Schengen countries.  The first Schengen pS entered would 
issue Schengen visas to the inspectors for the entire period. 
 Several pS supported this suggestion. 
 
Best Practice Guide for Demonstrations and Visits 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Several countries supported a best practices guide 
to standardize the conduct of demonstrations and visits to 
air bases and military facilities. 
 
Russia Makes New Proposals 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Russia provided three proposals in writing 
 
USOSCE 00000062  002 OF 002 
 
 
(FSC.AIAM/9/09): (1) requests for inspections or evaluations 
that are submitted too early would be considered invalid; (2) 
a five-year (vice the current one-year) period after entry 
into service for conducting demonstrations on new equipment; 
and (3) the development of common methodologies for 
demonstrations and visits to air bases and military 
facilities.  There was little discussion of the Russian 
proposals. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Russia also said it would be willing to receive 
auxiliary personnel to increase the size of the 
inspection/evaluation team if this were supported by an FSC 
decision making it compulsory for all receiving States to 
accept them. 
 
Switzerland Rescinds Some Voluntary Measures 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Switzerland noted that it had since 2004 voluntarily 
notified the temporary activation of its militia units and 
offered an additional quota, but there has been little 
interest from other pS.  Citing the lack of interest and 
administrative costs, Switzerland announced that it will no 
longer provide the notifications or offer the additional 
quota. 
 
Article IV (Dayton Accords) Briefing 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (SBU) Brigadier General Costanzo Periotto (Italy), the 
OSCE Chairman-in-Office's Personal Representative for Article 
IV (Dayton Peace Accords), briefed the role of the OSCE 
"assistant" in Article IV inspections.  Periotto forecasts 72 
assistants drawn from OSCE pS will be needed in 2008, down 
from a high of 160 in 2007, the reduction explained by the 
decreasing number of inspection quotas available under 
Article IV.  (Note:  On the margins of the meeting, Periotto 
informed that the U.S. would be offered positions on none of 
the 18 inspections.  End note.)  Periotto stressed the 
importance of technical training and expertise for the 
assistants. 
 
HOV Complain of Shorter Leashes 
------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The heads of verification were more restrained this 
year, according to some because an agenda published in 
advance that allowed guidance from capitals and the presence 
of policy personnel sitting behind them. (Note:  Last year's 
HOV meeting was held concurrently with other AIAM sessions, 
allowing the HOV to escape much supervision.  End note.)  The 
German verification head, Mertens, later complained to USDel 
that the agenda was too broad and that the guidance received 
from capitals resulted in less flexibility in the positions 
of the HOV, although Mertens appeared to be unrestrained in 
his own comments (see para 2 above). 
 
¶11. (SBU) The end result was a call by some delegations for a 
longer, more informal HOV meeting next year.  In addition to 
calls for a longer meeting, several HOV also proposed holding 
several sessions throughout the year, with at least one of 
them breaking up into small working groups tasked with a 
specific issue to allow in-depth discussions and 
recommendations that might result in deliverables. 
SCOTT