Cablegate: Portugal Also Concerned with Russia's Response To

VZCZCXRO3274
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHLI #2881 3131740
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091740Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY LISBON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6427
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS LISBON 002881

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: RS KDEM PREL PHUM PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGAL ALSO CONCERNED WITH RUSSIA'S RESPONSE TO
OSCE

REF: A. SECSTATE 153309

B. LISBON 2771

1. (SBU) Portuguese interlocutors told us that they are also
concerned with the Government of Russia's response to the
OSCE regarding election monitoring for the December 2 Duma
elections. They said that they are engaged with the OSCE's
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
on the issue but have not developed a public response.

2. (SBU) Comment: At the EU-Russia Summit (Ref B),
Portuguese Prime Minister Socrates lauded Putin's promise to
accept OSCE election observers, noting that the action,
"builds trust." We believe the Portuguese are somewhat
embarrassed by the latest limitations, given that they had
already accepted the Russians' earlier stalling tactics as
understandable politics.
Hoffman

© Scoop Media