UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-11907 Doc No.

C05635454 Date: 01/13/2015

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INFO LOG-00 ACDA-17 AID-01 BIB-01 CIAE-00 CFE-00 C-01

OASY-00 DODE-00 EB-01 HA-09 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00
10-19 L-03 ADS-00 NRRC-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 PA-01 PM-02 PRS-01 P-01 RPCS-01 SCT-03
SDEL-00 SIL-00 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00 SS-00 STR-16
TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 RPE-01 CORE-00 /083W
CBEF2E 161336Z /38
P 161325Z JUN 93
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO USMISSION USVIENNA PRIORITY
SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4391
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

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VIENNA FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356:N/A
TAGS: CSCE, PHUM, PGOV, RO
SUBJECT: BAD KARMA IN BUCHAREST -- ROMANIAN DELEGATION
TO CSCE SEMINAR ON NATIONAL MINORITIES

REF: USVIENNA 01622

1. SUMMARY: ROMANIA'S INTERAGENCY DELEGATION TO THE

CSCE SEMINAR ON NATIONAL MINORITIES IN WARSAW (REFTEL)
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GOT BAD REVIEWS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN POOR,
INEXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP AND INTRAMURAL WARFARE WITHIN
THE DELEGATION. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE DELEGATION
PERFORMED SO POORLY THAT IT CAME TO THE ATTENTION OF KEY
PLAYERS WITHIN THE GOR, ACCORDING TO A WELL-INFORMED
SOURCE. WE ARE TOLD THAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO
ENSURE THAT A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF WARSAW DOES NOT
OCCUR. END SUMMARY.

2. AFTER TALKS WITH LARRY WATTS, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE

FOR THE PROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS (PER), AND IVAN
TRUTER, SECRETARY OF THE NEWLY FORMED ROMANIAN
CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES, WE HAVE A
BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS IN
REFTEL. ACCORDING TO WATTS, THE ROMANIAN DELEGATION'S
PERFORMANCE WAS A "DISASTER," SO BAD IN FACT THAT THE
RELEVANT OFFICES OF THE GOR (E.G., PRESIDENCY,

REVIEW AUTHORITY: Robert Homme, Senior

Reviewer

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-11907 Doc No. C05635454 Date: 01/13/2015
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-11907 Doc No. C05635454 Date: 01/13/2015

PARLIAMENT, MFA, AND MINORITIES COUNCIL) NOW ARE FULLY

AND PAINFULLY AWARE OF IT. TRUTER HAD NEVER ATTENDED AN
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE BEFORE AND WAS "CLUELESS," IN
WATTS' TERM. THE FACT THAT AGREEMENTS REACHED AMONG THE
ROMANIAN PARTICIPANTS BEFORE WARSAW ON HOW TO PROCEED
BROKE DOWN COMPLETELY WAS DUE, IN WATTS' VIEW, TO
TRUTER'S INEXPERIENCE AND LACK OF SKILL FOR THE ROLE HE
WAS CALLED ON TO PLAY, AS WELL AS TO INTERNECINE
CONFLICTS WITHIN THE DELEGATION. IN ADDITION, OUR
DISCUSSION WITH TRUTER SHOW//IM NOT ONLY TO BE
INEXPERIENCED, BUT ALSO NOT PARTICUL/RLY SENSITIVE TO
ETHNIC CONCERNS.

3. ACCORDING TO TRUTER, THE GOR DELEGATION TO THE

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SEMINAR, CHOSEN IN AN INTERAGENCY PROCESS IN WHICH EACH
AGENCY NAMED ITS OWN REPRESENTATIVES, INCLUDED THE
FOLLOWING:

-IVAN TRUTER, CHIEF OF DELEGATION AND SECRETARY FOR THE

CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL FOR MINORITIES.
-NICHOLAE GHEORGHE, PRESIDENT OF THE ETHNIC FEDERATION
OF ROMA.
-PETRE GAVRILESCU, MFA, HUMAN RIGHTS DEPARTMENT.
-MRS. CONSTANTINESCU, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, APPARENTLY
HANDLES MINORITY ISSUES, BUT UNKNOWN TO USIS.
-RADU CONSTANTINESCU, ASSISTANT TO THE STATE SECRETARY
FOR CULTS (RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS).
-PETRE SUKOV, DEPUTY IN PARLIAMENT, REPRESENTING THE
NATIONAL MINORITIES PARLIAMENTARY GROUP (HE IS A
LIPOVENI).
-MR. MORAR, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
IN MURES COUNTY, EDITOR OF A MAGAZINE.
-CARMEN SEULEANU, EUROPEAN CENTER FOR STUDIES ON ETHNIC
ISSUES, AFFILIATED WITH THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY. MANY
CONSIDER MRS. SEULEANU AN OPPORTUNIST WHO HAS LATCHED ON
TO ETHNIC ISSUES BECAUSE THEY ARE TRENDY. SHE APPEARS
TO HAVE NO SPECIAL ACADEMIC TRAINING FOR SUCH WORK. IN
ADDITION, SHE IS VERY MUCH A SELF-PROMOTER. THE OBVIOUS
LACK OF HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AT A RECENT CONFERENCE SHE

ORGANIZED ON HUMAN RIGHTS IS A TESTAMENT TO HER

WELL-DESERVED REPUTATION.
-MR. VERNICEANU, EXPERT ON PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION ON
LOCAL ADMINISTRATION

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NOTE: VASILE COSTEL, PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE
YOUNG GENERATION OF ROMA, WAS THE ONLY ROMANIAN
REPRESENTATIVE AT THE SEMINAR WHO WAS NOT PART OF THE
OFFICIAL DELEGATION. END NOTE.

4. VASILE IONESCU, EDITOR OF A GYPSY PUBLICATION, AVEN

AMENTZA, AND SECRETARY OF THE ETHNIC FEDERATION OF ROMA
TOLD US, AND LARRY WATTS CONFIRMED, THAT THE ROMANIAN
DELEGATION WAS POLARIZED. NICHOLAE GHEORGHE TALKED OF
GYPSIES AS A TRANSNATIONAL GROUP AND A NON-TERRITORIAL
MINORITY, A POSITION WATTS ASSERTS THE GOR HAD ACCEPTED
BEFORE WARSAW, WHEREAS VASILE COSTEL, IVAN TRUTER, AND
PETRE GAVRILESCU CLAIMED GYPSIES WERE NATIONAL
MINORITIES. IONESCU SAID VASILE COSTEL SUPPORTED
TRUTER'S VIEW BECAUSE HE WANTED TO UNDERMINE NICHOLAE

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ACTION EUR-01

INFO LOG-00 ACDA-17 AID-01 BIB-01 CIAE-00 CFE-00 C-01

OASY-00 DODE-00 EB-01 HA-09 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00
10-19 L-03 ADS-00 NRRC-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02
OMB-01 PA-01 PM-02 PRS-01 P-01 RPCS-01 SCT-03
SDEL-00 SIL-00 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00 SS-00 STR-16
TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 RPE-01 CORE-00 /083W
CBEF67 161337Z /38
P 161325Z JUN 93
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO USMISSION USVIENNA PRIORITY
SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4409
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF 02 BUCHAREST 05489

VIENNA FOR USDEL CSCE

E.O. 12356:N/A
TAGS: CSCE, PHUM, PGOV, RO

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-11907 Doc No. C05635454 Date: 01/13/2015
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-11907 Doc No. C05635454 Date: 01/13/2015

SUBJECT: BAD KARMA IN BUCHAREST -- ROMANIAN DELEGATION

GHEORGHE, A MAN HE ENVIES. ACCORDING TO IONESCU, TRUTER

IS NOT PREPARED TO HANDLE HIS POSITION ON THE MINORITIES
COUNCIL. WHEN ASKED IF HE THOUGHT TRUTER WAS UP TO THE
JOB, IONESCU RESPONDED -- WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THE
SECRETARY OF THE CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL FOR MINORITIES
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MAKE GIVEN THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA? COMMENT:
ALTHOUGH TRUTER APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A LESS THAN IDEAL
CHOICE FOR THE POSITION OF SECRETARY TO THE MINORITIES
COUNCIL, IT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND THAT THE COUNCIL'S
PRESIDENT, VIOREL HREBENCIUC, IS A HIGHLY REGARDED AND
INFLUENTIAL FIGURE IN ROMANIAN POLITICS. THE CHOICE OF
HREBENCIUC, WHO HOLDS THE IMPORTANT POST OF SECRETARY
GENERAL TO THE GOVERNMENT, AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
INDICATES THAT THE GOR TAKES THE BODY SERIOUSLY AND THE
COUNCIL ITSELF ALREADY HAS MADE SOME IMPORTANT
ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP. END COMMENT.

5. ACCORDING TO LARRY WATTS, THE FIASCO IN WARSAW IS

LIKELY TO LEAD TO POSITIVE CHANGES IN ROMANIA'S APPROACH
TO SUCH MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE. PART OF THE PROBLEM HAS
BEEN THAT, EXCEPT FOR NICHOLAE GHEORGHE, THE MEMBERS OF
ROMANIA'S DELEGATIONS HAVE CHANGED WITH EACH MEETING.
THIS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION AND POOR
PERFORMANCE. WATTS SAID STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO EXPAND

AND UPGRADE THE STAFF OF THE MINORITIES COUNCIL AND TO

ENSURE THAT THERE IS CONTINUITY AND BETTER UNITY AND
QUALITY AMONG THOSE REPRESENTING ROMANIA AT
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES ON ETHNIC ISSUES. THE
LEARNING PROCESS MAY BE SLOW AND PAINFUL AT TIMES, HE
OBSERVED, BUT HE BELIEVES THAT THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.

6. POST WILL PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THE NEW CONSULTATIVE

COMMITTEE'S MANDATE AND ORGANIZATION VIA SEPTEL.

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DAVIS

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