Cablegate: Exbs Russia Monthly Reporting Cable

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DE RUEHMO #2329 2530823
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100823Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4766
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002329

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NP/ECC - ACHURCH
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE - DMARTIN
CBP/INA FOR PWARKER
USDOE/NNSA FOR TPERRY

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

Summary: This cable highlights activities of the Export Control and
Related Border Security (EXBS) Russia Program Office for the period
of August 01, 2009 to August 31, 2009. End Summary

1. On August 21st, the EXBS Advisor and EXBS Assistant had a very
constructive, positive meeting with the export controls section
within the Security and Disarmament Department of the Russian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). MFA had contacted the Federal
Customs Service, the Ministry of Defense, the federal export
licensing authority (FSTEK), and the federal space agency Roskosmos
beforehand for comments and program suggestions. Some suggestions
and ideas were entirely new, while others were developed from prior
conversations we had held with these agencies and with MFA. As a
result, significant progress was made on the following items:
affirmation of continued US-Russia export controls cooperation;
approval for three Russian government professionals to attend an
export controls/nonproliferation course at the University of Georgia
Athens in late October; agreement in principle to continue trade
controls training for Russian government officials; approval to
conduct a seminar on export controls violations enforcement; and
endorsement of an exchange of US and Russian export controls
(dual-use) licensing officials. This last item is a noteworthy
development, in that it represents the first time that EXBS will
work directly with FSTEK on an activity.

2. MFA also reiterated its strong desire to resume export controls
Program Reviews, the last of which was held in 2007. EXBS in Moscow
is coordinating dates, participants, location (Washington or Moscow)
and agenda items with the MFA and the State Department in
Washington.

3. In stating the MFA list of major export controls and
nonproliferation issues of interest to the US, Mr. Alexander
Mikhailovich Deineko, the head of the section, mentioned that he and
his colleagues would be very busy with meetings and other activities
related to UNSCR 1540 for most of the fall. He asked us for details
about the proposed revision to the US export control system,
specifically about the review of US trade controls on dual-use items
launched by California Congressman Howard Berman and his plans to
introduce a new Export Administration Act next year. Congressman
Berman had visited Moscow in late June as part of a delegation of
lawmakers to discuss a variety of US-Russian strategic issues. We
told Mr. Deineko that we would convey his request through the
appropriate channels.

4. Another notable development at the meeting was the addition of
two new staff members. We were rather surprised to see the senior
of the two, Mr. Anatoliy Mikhailovich Bulochnikov, as an MFA
employee. We have known him for many years as the founder of the
Center for Export Controls (CEC), the Russian partner of
Commonwealth Trading Partners, which conducted a series of trade
controls seminars throughout Russia for Customs and industry.

5. The EXBS team is working closely with a Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) delegation that will travel to Moscow to deliver a
new course in Supply Chain Security to Russian Customs. The course
will take place September 15-17. The following week the delegation
will travel to St. Petersburg for meetings with Customs officials to
help set up training they have requested for operators in Advanced
Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) techniques. This training will take
place towards the end of the year.

6. Following up on the exchange of best practices offered at the
June EXBS Advisor's Meeting in Tbilisi, the EXBS Advisor and
Assistant received an expert tutorial on the COAST system from the
Senior Financial Management Officer at the embassy. This training
will help us to track and record program expenses in a more
efficient and timely manner.

BEYRLE

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