C06838319SIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06838319 Date 10 19 2021 • POEMS Automated Telegram Handler - B26 eaeMT 12 06 94 04 38 pm Page 1 i Item Subject OFFICIAL-INFORMAL NEXT STEPS ON NATO RELEASE IN FULL PAGE 01 MOSCOW 35187 061724Z DEC 94 I ' DECLASSIFIED SUBJECT OFFICIAL-INFORMAL NEXT STEPS ON NATO EXPANSION AND THE VICE PRESIDENT'S VISIT REF l MOSCOW 35186 SSORBW ENTIRE TEXT Declassification Authority Geoffrey W Chapman Senior Reviewer A GIS IPS 8 6 2020 2 TO FOLLOW UP OUR PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE YELTSIN KOZYREV PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON NATO EXPANSION REFTEL I'D LIKE TO OFFER A FEW THOUGHTS ON HOW BEST TO HANDLE THE RUN-UP TO THE VICE PRESIDENT'S VISIT HERE AS MAMEDOV AGREED IN OUR CONVERSATION TODAY THE VP'S MEETING WITH YELTSIN OFFERS US OUR BEST NEARTERM OPPORTUNITY TO GET DISCUSSION OF NATO EXPANSION WITH RUSSIA BACK ON A WORKABLE TRACK 3 I WOULD RECOMMEND FIRST THAT THE PRESIDENT SEND A LETT R TO YELTSIN THIS COMING WEEKEND SEVERAL DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE VP'S ARRIVAL THIS MESSAGE WOULD RESPOND TO THE YELTSIN LETTER OF DECEMBER 3 AND OFFER WHATEVER CLARIFICATION OF OUR THINKING ON NATO EXPANSION THAT WE CAN PROVIDE PERHAPS DRAWING ON THE IDEAS OFFERED AT THE END OF REFTEL IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO LEAN AS FAR FORWARD AS WE CAN IN REASSURING YELTSIN THAT WE ENVISAGE NO ACTUAL DECISIONS ON NEW MEMBERS BEFORE JUNE OF 1996 AND NO FORMAL ENTRY OF NEW MEMBERS UNTIL CONSIDERABLY AFTER THAT THE MESSAGE MIGHT ALSO UNDERSCORE THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED THE VP TO FOLLOW UP AND HAVE A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH YELTSIN 4 IT MIGHT THEN MAKE SENSE -- AT THE RISK OF FURTHER DEVALUING THE CURRENCY OF PRESIDENTIAL CORRESPONDENCE -- TO A RM THE VP WITa A SECOND MUCH SHORTER NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT TO YELTSIN WHICH THE VP COULD DELIVER TO CHERNMOYRDIN AT THEIR FIRST ONE ON ONE ON DECEMBER 14 IN PART TO GIVE YELTSIN A CHANCE TO DIGEST IT BEFORE HE AND THE VP MEET ON DECEMBER 16 THIS SECOND NOTE COULD SUGGEST THAT ASSUMING THAT THE FIRST LETTER AND THE VP'S MEETING HAVE HELPED CLARIFY OUR POSITION FOR THE RUSSIANS ' IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR YELTSIN TO REAFFIRM PUBLICLY WHAT HE INDICATED IN HIS DECEMBER 3 LETTER -- THAT RUSSIA IS NOW PREPARED TO SIGN THE IPP AND RUSSIA-NATO DOCUMENTS WE COULD ALSO BOTH PUT PUBLIC EMPHASIS ON THE CONTINUING DURABILITY OF OUR PARTNERSHIP FOLLOWING OUR RECENT CONTACTS PRESIDENTIAL EXCHANGES AND THE VP'S VISIT 5 MAMEDOV LIKES THIS APPROACH AND CONTRIBUTED TO IT AND THINKS THERE'S AT LEAST A FAIR CHANCE IT COULD PRODUCE A POSITIVE PUBLIC OUTCOME FOR THE VP HE ASKS ONLY THAT WE INCLUDE IN THE l''IRST LETTER A REFERENCE TO THE YELTSIN PROPOSAL FOR A JANUARY MOSCOW MEETING NITH KOHL AND CLINTON -- FOR WHICH MAMEDOV SAID NEITHER HE NOR KOZYREV WAS RESPONSIBLE MAMEDOV UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06838319 Date 10 19 2021 c O6 8 3 8 31 g31FIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06838319 Date 10 19 2021 ·POEMS Automated Telegram Handler - B26 Item Subject SBORB'f 12 06 94 04 38 pm· Page OFFICIAL-INFORMAL NEXT STEPS ON NATO SUSPECTS THE IDEA MAY HAVE COME FROM BNY HIMSELF MAMEDOV BELIEVES YELTSIN WILL UNDERSTAND IF THE PRESIDENT SIMPLY EXPLAINS THAT THE PRESS OF BUSINESS IN WASHINGTON RULES OUT A JANUARY MEETING AND EMPHASIZES THE VP'S ROLE AS HIS PERSONAL ENVOY 6 MAMEDOV ADDED THAT HE PERSONALLY FAVORS THE IDEA OF A FORMAL TREATY OR AGREEMENT BETWEEN NATO AND RUSSIA AS A FOLLOW-ON TO THE UNDERSTANDINGS WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN REACHED AND WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL SOON BE SIGN D THE MAIN PURPOSE WOULD BE TO STATE FORMALLY THAT NATO DOES NOT REGARD RUSSIA AS AN ENEMY MAMEDOV SUGGESTED THAT THIS IS BEGINNING TO REFLECT KOZYREY'S THINKING AS WELL BASED ON A LONG PRIVATE CONVERSATION HE SAID HE HAD WITH THE MINISTER LAST SUNDAY PRIOR TO YELTSIN' S DEPARTURE FOR BUDAPEST PICKERING PTP2265 Sl39FH Jl E' PAGE 01 MOSCOW @ACTION @INFO 35187 PTP2265 061724Z D 00 SS 00 SSO 00 061316L DEC 94 BAF TOTAL COPIES 000 - @ACTION WO 00 061807Z DEC 94 STePS TOTAL COPIES 000 ACTION SS-00 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 TEDE-00 ADS-00 ONY-00 SSO-00 ------------------8FD290 061805Z 45 0 061724Z DEC 94 FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7536 OOOW i EC PET MOSCOW 035187 FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY TALBOTT FROM PICKERING E O 12356 TAGS DECL OADR AMGT UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2017-13804 Doc No C06838319 Date 10 19 2021 2