Dear Heather, 

 

Having carefully studied all the materials that you've sent and after internal discussions, please, find below my thoughts in this regard: 

As to the MLS, we agree with your point that they've been working and we'll follow with your suggestion to make the engagement as of June 17, 2014.

Let's have it signed for each separate month. But before we do that we need to hold a thorough and detailed discussion as to the key point that is of significant importance to our side -  these are the short term/immediate results of the MLS work. And, please, let me elaborate here. The core work done by the MLS with your assistance comes down to the meetings with high and middle level officials. The ultimate goal being as widely described in the report is raising awareness of Burisma in the West, building relations, forming opinions, etc. and having fully realized the importance of the last point, we're of opinion that short-term results must also come together. Therefore, for the next engagement month (starting form June 17) we have to discuss how the meetings that already took place and those that are going to happen could bring what we all need - concrete and feasible results. Here, I would like to offer a few suggestions: 

1) a letter of request from one of the Senators or a Senate/House committee could be sent to the high level Ukrainian authorities, US embassy in Ukraine with the idea of presenting/lobbying the interests of Burisma or expressing concerns and/or suggesting that Burisma representatives should meet with the authorities of Ukraine, take part in forming new energy sector policies or contribute into them. 

2) Such a letter could also be addressed to Burisma directly and publicly express support for the company.

3) Facilitating concrete meetings of Burisma officials with the US officials and US officials with Ukrainian ones with regard to Burisma, etc. 

4) Organizing and facilitating meetings of Burisma officials with Ukrainian government. 

5) Putting on the website a part of your report about the meetings and going public with that for PR purposes. 

 

As to the FTI, a communication plan that was presented to us by the FTI is indeed of a very professional and comprehensive nature and we'll be ready to follow through with our engagement on a monthly basis, but before we do that we have to negotiate the following points: 

1) First and foremost, we believe that immediate concrete results should appear in the next engagement period and that could be done in a form of publications/interviews/articles/op-eds, etc. either on behalf of Burisma or with its key officials. 

2) The suggested communication plan could be made less broad, more to the point and substance-oriented, since as of today it looks like a fully-fledged PR company, and what we're looking for  is a concrete short-term action plan.  

 

Best, 

Vadim