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Cablegate: Exbs: Russia Advisor Monthly Reporting Cable - October

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #2751/01 3131303
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091303Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5340
RUEAORC/USCBP WASHDC
RHEBAAA/USDOE WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RECNEXC/EXPORT CONTROL AND RELATED BORDER SECURITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002751

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISN/ECC JFRIEDMAN, ACHURCH, ROWEN, LSPRINGER
CBP FOR INA, PLEASE PASS TO TCORWIN
USDOE WASHDC ALSO FOR NNSA, PLEASE PASS TO TPERRY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP UP RS
SUBJECT: EXBS: RUSSIA ADVISOR MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE - OCTOBER
2009

1. Begin summary: BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY
MANAGERS: EXBS has been approached by Russian Central Customs
Administration (Moscow) to support an IVP to US ports of entry.
EXBS is working with CBP and ICE on this visit. A new Russian
federal agency, Rosgranitsa, has also asked EXBS and CBP's help to
conduct a similar IVP. Rosgranitsa is charged with ensuring
security of facilities and IT infrastructure at ports of entry.
EXBS is working with CBP and the Russian Embassy in Washington to
develop this visit. Planning with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
proceeds on the reinstituted Program Review and additional Export
Licensing Exchange scheduled for the first week of February in
Washington. Advisor participated in consultations in Washington
October 13-14. End summary.

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2. Completed Actions for Reporting Period.

A. Site Assessments and Meetings During the Reporting Period.

i. October 6 - EXBS Advisor met with DCM Eric Rubin to report on
progress and challenges for the EXBS program in Russia. DCM was
pleased with cooperation from Russian stakeholders and US
interagency partners. DCM agreed to host reception for Customs
Attache Club in the nearest future. DCM approved EXBS Advisor's
request for reinstatement on Country Team, which had been suspended
since the time of the previous Advisor.

ii. October 26 - Ambassador Beyrle visited the Law Enforcement
Section, where EXBS is located, to solicit input on ways that law
enforcement could advance the US-Russian strategic relationship.
The EXBS Advisor and EXBS Assistant cited the upcoming Program
Review (requested by MFA) and export licensing exchange as examples
of enhanced cooperation. In addition, we mentioned the export
enforcement seminar that will take place in 2010 as an example of
new areas of cooperation in law enforcement.

iii. October 28 - EXBS Advisor met with Jules Silberberg of the
Political Section to update him on EXBS activities and identify
areas of mutual interest. The meeting was requested by Mr.
Silberberg, who is doing a return tour of duty in Moscow after being
away for eight years. We agreed that periodic contact and
information exchange would be mutually beneficial.

iv. October 29 - EXBS Advisor and ICE representatives attended the
Customs Attache Club meeting and reception at the Finnish Embassy.
Finnish customs officers reported on approaches to inspect,
interdict, and prosecute export controls violators. Present were
several representatives of Russian Customs from the international
cooperation section, including their chief, Mr. Sergei Konovalenko.
Also present was Mr. Aleksei Vasiliev, head of the Northwest Region
(St. Petersburg) Administration; and Ms. Yekaterina Grigorevna, from
the Central Region (Moscow) Administration. The Advisor had
constructive conversations with all of the Russian officers to
advance planned activities, including the Central Region IVP in
December and Advanced Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) training in St.
Petersburg at a later date.

B. Training Conducted During Reporting Period.

i. EXBS continues to support DOE/INECP's targeted export controls
training for managers at Roskosmos and Rosatom. The EXBS Assistant
attended two export controls workshops organized by DOE/INECP
October 6-8 for Roskosmos employees, and October 21-23 for Rosatom
employees. The workshops consisted of presentations by Roskomos and
Rosatom, respectively; FSTEK (the federal licensing authority),
Customs, and specialized labs on their agencies' relationship to
export controls. Both workshops were held in St. Petersburg with
EXBS funding, attracting 30-40 attendees to each event. The
Roskosmos event also included a presentation on internal compliance
by Dr. James Smith, formerly of The Boeing Company, now working as a
consultant.

C. Equipment Delivered During Reporting Period.

i. The EXBS Russia program does not distribute equipment.

3. Imminent Training or Equipment Status Update

i. EXBS is working with CBP and ICE on an IVP requested by the
Central Region (Moscow) Customs Administration scheduled for
mid-December. The delegation will visit ports of entry in Southern
California, including Los Angeles (Long Beach) and San Diego to
observe procedures and technologies for processing passenger and
cargo traffic.

4. Significant Developments in Export Controls, Nonproliferation,
or Related Border Security

i. A brouhaha over fears by academics that bureaucratic barriers
could hamper their efforts to publish and travel abroad seems to
have died down. In early October, an internal document from St.
Petersburg State University was posted on a popular Internet forum.
The document called for faculty members to provide copies of texts
to be published abroad so that they could be reviewed for violations
of intellectual property law or possible export controls violations.
This requirement would have been extended even to the humanities.
The ensuing outcry from academics and attention by the media led to
a statement issued by university authorities in early November
overturning this requirement for researchers in the humanities and
social sciences.

5. Country Plans and Other Assistance

i. This material was transmitted separately to Action Officer
Rachel Owen.

6. CONTACT INFORMATION. Joan Agerholm is the EXBS Advisor for
Russia and can be reached at AgerholmJA@state.gov, or +7 (985)
410-30-87. Konstantin Troyan is the EXBS Assistant for Russia and
can be reached at troyanka@state.gov, or +7 (985) 923-05-18.

BEYRLE

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