Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRATISLAVA106
2005-02-07 17:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:  

SLOVAKS SUPPORT EU-FLAGGING BMO IN GEORGIA

Tags:  PREL PGOV LO GG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

071702Z Feb 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000106 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO GG
SUBJECT: SLOVAKS SUPPORT EU-FLAGGING BMO IN GEORGIA

REF: SECSTATE 21669

Classified By: CDA Scott N. Thayer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRATISLAVA 000106

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO GG
SUBJECT: SLOVAKS SUPPORT EU-FLAGGING BMO IN GEORGIA

REF: SECSTATE 21669

Classified By: CDA Scott N. Thayer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Poloff delivered reftel demarche February 7 to Lubomir
Rehak, European Correspondent at the MFA. Rehak said
Slovakia will support the EU-flagging of the Border
Monitoring Operation (BMO) in Georgia and expects consensus
at the February 8 COREPER. The GOS does not oppose a
continued OSCE BMO but is "very skeptical" the Russians will
remove their objection to a continued OSCE presence. Rehak
said the EU mission should be similar in size and purpose to
the OSCE mission and only the umbrella organization should
change. The GOS will support retaining its three or four
members of the observation team in Georgia under a EU-flagged
BMO. The GOS supports sending at least an urgent fact
finding mission before the February GAERC meeting.


2. (C) The GOS is worried about a possible Russian attack on
Georgian territory based on the alleged premise of searching
for Chechen terrorists. Rehak said that the Russian Embassy
in Tbilisi's January 17 statement on "Chechen and foreign
terrorists" in Georgia is just one example of a possible
Russian pretext to attack. Rehak called the border a
"sensitive area" with a "high probability of conflict."


3. (C) Rehak expects consensus at the February 8 COREPER and
has received information from the Baltic states, the UK,
France, and Poland supporting the EU-flagged mission. He
said the Swedes have recommended Bush and Putin discuss this
issue at the Bratislava Summit. Rehak said it would be
prudent to "involve the Russians somehow" so as to not
alienate them and "jump into their sphere of influence."
Rehak welcomed U.S. offers of support and said it would be
very useful in promoting stability on the border.
THAYER


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