Cablegate: Ukraine: Proliferation Security Initiative And

VZCZCXRO8926
PP RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHKV #3039 3451234
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111234Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4531
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KYIV 003039

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR T, L/OES (ROACH), ISN/CPI, EUR/UMB, EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP PHSA KTIA EWWT UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE AND
SHIP-BOARDING AGREEMENT UPDATE

REF: A. STATE 164778

B. STATE 161772
C. STATE 156157
D. KYIV 513
E. KYIV 183

1. On December 11, we delivered ref A non-paper providing
U.S. plans to sponsor a 5th anniversary Proliferation
Security Initiative (PSI) conference to MFA Arms Control and
Military Technical Cooperation Counselor Oleksandr Bondarenko
and Attache Maryna Stroga. Bondarenko opined that Deputy
Foreign Minister Andriy Veselovsky might be designated to
lead the Ukrainian delegation to the May 28, 2008, event,
and, in response to our inquiry, said he sincerely hoped that
Veselovsky would remain in his position until then, since he
had a good working relationship with Veselovsky. (Note:
Former Foreign Minister Yatsenyuk was elected Speaker of the
Parliament December 4, and with the possibility of a new
government being confirmed in the near future, a shake-up of
MFA senior leadership is likely.)

2. At the same time, we provided ref B non-paper, and a
courtesy Ukrainian translation, providing U.S. major concerns
regarding Ukraine's proposed text of a PSI shipboarding
agreement. In doing so, we stressed our desire to receive a
written explanation of the changes introduced in the
Ukrainian January 2007 draft text and noted the possibility
of holding further discussions on the margins of the next
U.S.-Ukraine Nonproliferation Working Group (NPWG) meeting.
We also informed Bondarenko and Stroga that the U.S. had
proposed February 14-15 for the NPWG meeting. Bondarenko
said he had already circulated the non-paper to the relevant
Ukrainian government offices (showing us the copy of the
non-paper that he had received from the Ukrainian Embassy in
Washington) and especially the State Border Guard Service.

3. On November 20, we provided the results drawn from ref C,
with a courtesy Ukrainian translation, of the results of the
latest PSI Operational Experts Group (OEG) meeting to Maryna
Stroga. We asked her to ensure that information about the
meeting, hosted by the Greek Government in Rhodes October
2-4, was circulated appropriately within the Ukrainian
government.

4. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Taylor

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