UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2009-02091 Doc No.

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ACTION C-01

INFO LOG-00 ADS-00 AMAD-01 E-01 ONY-00 SSO-00 SS-01

/004w
A82E26 041452Z /38
O 041452Z NOV 91
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0575

CONFIDENTIALMOSCOW 31768

FOR UNDER SECRETARY ZOELLICK ONLY FROM AMBASSADOR

STRAUSS
RELEASED IN FULL
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: EAID, ECON, US, UR
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL-INFORMAL

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

2. I RECENTLY SIGNED OFF ON AN 0-I TO YOU REGARDING

THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY THAT MAYOR POPOV IS
TRYING TO START AND THAT HE DISCUSSED WITH YOU IN
WASHINGTON. MY STAFF LEGITIMATELY HAD SOME RATHER
NEGATIVE OPINIONS ABOUT THAT EFFORT, BASED ON THEIR
CONCERN ABOUT SOME OF THE CHARACTERS INVOLVED AND THE
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING ACQUISITION OF THE REAL
ESTATE. IN ADDITION, POPOV'S EFFORT SEEMS TO BE BUT
ONE OF AT LEAST TWO OR MORE COMPETING ENDEAVORS.
THESE WERE THE BASIC REASONS FOR THEIR CONCERN.
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3. IN ORDER TO BE SURE THE RECORD ISN'T OVERBALANCED

ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE, I WANT TO REPORT TO YOU THE
FOLLOWING. THIS PAST SATURDAY MORNING, AT MAYOR
POPOV'S INVITATION, I PARTICIPATED IN THE OPENING
CEREMONIES FOR HIS UNIVERSITY. THERE WAS A NICE
CROWD PRESENT, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE QUALITY OF THE
INDIVIDUALS PRESENT WAS GENERALLY VERY HIGH. THE
MAYOR AND I WERE JOINED BY SHEVARDNADZE AND YAKOVLEV,
AS THE FEATURED SPEAKERS, AND I HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT

REVIEW AUTHORITY: Geoffrey Chapman, Senior Reviewer

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2009-02091 Doc No. C17558486 Date: 10/01/2014
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2009-02091 Doc No. C17558486 Date: 10/01/2014
BRIEFLY WITH BOTH OF THEM. EACH SEEMED VERY HIGH ON
THE INSTITUTION AND ON THE IMPORTANCE OF IT
SUCCEEDING. YAKOVLEV SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF I COULD
BE OF HELP WITH THE CONGRESS IN GETTING THEM SOME
MONEY.

4. BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I AM INCLINED TO

BE FAR MORE POSITIVE REGARDING THIS INSTITUTION THAN
WAS SUGGESTED IN OUR PREVIOUS CABLE. I HAVE NO
SPECIFIC REQUEST TO MAKE IN THIS CONNECTION, BUT I
DID WANT YOUR INFORMATION TO BE CURRENT.

5. POSTSCRIPT. DURING THE CEREMONY, THE AMERICAN

FUNDRAISER FOR THE UNIVERSITY, EDWARD LOZANSKY,
APPROACHED ME AND ASKED ME TO CONVEY TO THE
APPROPRIATE CHANNELS THE FOLLOWING LETTER.

--BEGIN TEXT. DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR. ON DECEMBER 31,

PRESIDENTS GORBACHEV AND YELTSIN ARE GIVING A NEW
YEAR'S EVE CHARITY PARTY TO CELEBRATE FREEDOM AND
DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA. PROCEEDS GO TO BUILT (SIC) A
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BABYFOOD PROCESSING PLANT IN THE CITY OF MOSCOW.
THERE WILL BE A WORLD WIDE COVERAGE AT 12.00 AM
(MIDNIGHT) DECEMBER 31, 1991. IT WILL BE 5 PM IN
WASHINGTON. BOTH PRESIDENTS WILL BE DELIGHTED IF
PRESIDENT BUSH WILL GREET RUSSIAN PEOPLE LIVE FOR 2-3
MINUTES FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. PLEASE CONVEY THIS
MESSAGE TO THE APPROPRIATE CHANNELS. MY NAME IS
EDWARD LOZANSKY. I LIVE IN WASHINGTON, DC. TEL.
202-362-7855. I WAS ASKED BY MAYOR POPOV TO
COORDINATE THIS EVENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
EDWARD. END TEXT.

6. LOZANSKY ALSO GAVE ME HIS BUSINESS CARD WHICH

IDENTIFIES HIM AS PRESIDENT OF "RUSSIA HOUSE," WITH
AN ADDRESS AT 3001 VEAZEY TERRACE, NW, WASHINGTON,
DC, 20008. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING YOUR
INITIAL REACTION TO THIS IDEA. WE, OF COURSE, WILL
FOLLOW CLOSELY THE PLANNING OF THIS EVENT, AS IT
DEVELOPS, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A SUITABLE
RECOMMENDATION AT THE APPROPRIATE MOMENT. I SHOULD
ADD, HOWEVER, THAT SOME OF MY STAFF HAVE QUESTIONS
ABOUT MR. LOZANSKY'S REPUTATION AND CREDIBILITY, AND
ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT HIM THAT YOU CAN

UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2009-02091 Doc No. C17558486 Date: 10/01/2014
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PROVIDE WILL BE OF GREAT HELP IN EVALUATING THIS AND
ANY OTHER REQUESTS HE MIGHT MAKE. STRAUSS

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UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2009-02091 Doc No. C17558486 Date: 10/01/2014