Cablegate: Demarche Delivered: Unified Approach To

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016
TAGS: PREL EUN NATO OSCE MO GG RU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: UNIFIED APPROACH TO
GEORGIA/MOLDOVA CONFLICTS

REF: SECSTATE 190264

Classified By: POLCHIEF Gregory Thome for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)

1. (SBU) On 29 November, DCM delivered demarche to Finnish
Foreign Ministry Political Director Pilvi-Sisko Vierros
Villeneuve. Vierros Villeneuve welcomed US points on Georgia
and agreed that maintaining US-EU unity is crucial.

2. (C) On Moldova, Vierros Villeneuve also fully agreed on
the need for the US and the EU to remain united, the
importance of returning to the 5-2 process, and getting the
Transnistrians back to the table. However, regarding an
international Peace Consolidation Mission, Vierros Villeneuve
emphasized that the EU has reached no common position on this
and, indeed, has not even been offered the opportunity to do
so. Referencing her recent telecon with EUR DAS David
Kramer, she explained that the Belgian OSCE chairmanship has
yet to present its draft statement on the PCM to the EU for
comment, and there can be no unified EU position until this
takes place. Without having officially seen this proposal,
Vierros Villeneuve expressed concern that a tactical approach
toward internationalizing the Moldovan peacekeeping force
(PKF) would not be credible unless the EU was immediately
ready to step forward with its replacement force; however, it
is not ready at this time due to difficulty generating troops
and a lack of member state concensus. Finland remains
committed to the Hill paper and is not convinced that
internationalizing the PKF will trigger settlement and
instead believes it should be part of an overall settlement
process.

3. (C) Although the EU has not reached consensus and the
Belgian OSCE Chair has not yet formally circulated its
proposals, Vierros Villeneuve expressed some guarded
optimism, saying that "the gap is closing." However, she
also reiterated the US point regarding the importance of
showing US-EU unity -- especially to the Russians. While
Europe is in the process of coming to consensus, she urged,
"let's not show to Russia that there is any US-EU
disagreement."
WARE

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