VZCZCXRO6696
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #1680/01 1631446
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111446Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8575
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 001680 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL GM RS
SUBJECT: MEDVEDEV'S MESSAGE LADEN TRIP TO BERLIN 
 
REF: BERLIN 755 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The MFA assessed Medvedev's June 5 trip to 
Berlin - his first European trip as President - as having 
successfully demonstrated the importance of Russia-German and 
Russia-EU relations.  Although the short, eight-hour visit 
yielded little on substance, it provided Medvedev an 
opportunity to establish a rapport with Chancellor Merkel and 
establish himself as a "reliable" partner (reftel). 
According to the MFA, a host of issues was discussed, with 
energy and the Nord Stream pipeline deemed the most important 
topics.  The leaders covered several foreign policy issues, 
including missile defense, which Merkel reportedly told 
Medvedev was best dealt with through discussions between the 
U.S. and Russia.  Medvedev used his public appearances to 
stress upholding the rule of law in Russia in an effort to 
assure German businesses that Russia was a sound economic 
partner.  The Russian press contrasted Medvedev's debut with 
the threatening tone of Putin's March 2008 Munich speech, 
although many noted Medvedev delivered a very similar 
message, albeit with more bonhomie.  End summary. 
 
Medvedev's Positive Message to Germany 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a June 10 briefing for the diplomatic corps, 
MFA Principal Counselor Mikhail Markarov explained that 
Medvedev's June 5 trip to Berlin was intended to demonstrate 
the importance of Russian-German bilateral ties and allow 
Medvedev to establish a working/personal relationship with 
Chancellor Merkel.  The brief, eight-hour visit centered upon 
the two leaders' meeting and a few public events, including a 
televised public address, with little time for deliverables 
or concrete results.  When asked what was the most important 
result of the trip, Markarov emphasized the significance of 
Berlin as Medvedev's first European destination as President 
and the positive tone of his message, signifying that the new 
Russian President wished to be a "partner" with both Germany 
and the EU.  Markarov did not mince words over the importance 
to Moscow of its relationship with Berlin, characterizing it 
as the "engine of Russia-EU and Russia-NATO relations." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Markarov explained that synchronized visits - 
Medvedev to Germany and Putin to France - demonstrated 
Russia's focus to broaden ties with the EU as they progress 
toward finalizing the EU-Russia Cooperation Agreement. 
Markarov admitted that it was important for Medvedev to visit 
Europe soon after his first foreign trip as President took 
him to China, and joked that the Europeans could accept this 
order of travel better than the Chinese, who placed more 
importance on such symbolism. 
 
Energy and Foreign Policy 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Markarov said that Medvedev and Merkel's discussion 
on energy was the most important element of their meeting, 
although Medvedev's offer of a Russia-German "energy 
partnership" did not lead to concrete results.  Medvedev and 
Merkel, reaffirming the importance of the Nord Stream 
pipeline, agreed upon the necessity of overcoming the 
objections of certain countries, particularly Sweden, to the 
project. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The leaders covered the waterfront on foreign policy 
without going into detail on any topic in particular. 
Markarov said that when Medvedev brought up missile defense, 
the Chancellor responded that the issue was best dealt with 
through discussions between the U.S. and Russia.  Markarov 
noted that while Medvedev's proposal for a legally binding 
treaty on European security was broached in his public speech 
but not his meeting with Merkel, the "German side" responded 
positively without making any commitment.  Markarov told us 
that the CFE Treaty was not discussed by Medvedev and Merkel 
despite a MFA press release to the contrary. 
 
Rule of Law Will Help Economic Ties 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Per Markarov, Medvedev previewed his political 
priorities with his message on strengthening the rule of law 
and promoting more liberal media law, partly in an effort to 
assuage European concern.  Markarov stressed that Medvedev's 
message not be taken as a new direction away from Putin's 
principles. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Markarov pointed out the fact that Medvedev used his 
speech to cover some of the same issues he and Merkel 
discussed privately, including his call to remove legal 
restrictions on Russian investment in European companies, 
which discriminated against Russian businesses and detracted 
 
MOSCOW 00001680  002 OF 002 
 
 
from potential economic cooperation.  Medvedev also spoke of 
the demographic crisis facing Russia and many European 
countries, which he and Merkel agreed their governments would 
cooperate on addressing.  During the question and answer 
period following the speech, Medvedev addressed the need to 
improve conditions in Russia for small and medium sized 
businesses such as by making capital more available, another 
area the two leaders had discussed. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Markarov noted that Medvedev's trip had a 
significant public component in the hope that his message of 
partnership would reach beyond Germany's political and 
business elite.  When asked the message inferred from 
Medvedev's visit to the Soviet War Memorial and cemetery, 
Markarov responded that Treptow remained important for all 
Russians and his visit was not designed to remind Germany of 
its past. 
 
Soft Spoken But Still Follows Putin's Path 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) The Russian media focused largely on the atmospherics 
of Medvedev's visit, noting his willingness to raise issues 
of concern to Europe such as the rule of law in Russia, or 
how the new President's softer tone differed from that of 
Putin's infamous Munich speech that rattled the West.  RIA 
Novesti's Andrey Fedyashin commented, however, that despite 
Medvedev's overall positive message or softer tone, his 
speech covered much of the same ground as Putin's by focusing 
on Russian differences with the West over NATO, missile 
defense, and Kosovo, and warning against foreign interference 
in Russian internal affairs. 
RUSSELL