MFA RELEASES FOREIGN POLICY STRATEGY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 003061 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV GG SUBJECT: MFA RELEASES FOREIGN POLICY STRATEGY Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) The MFA recently released its 2006-2009 Foreign Policy Strategy document. The Strategy focuses on the goals of territorial integrity, Euro-Atlantic integration, economic growth, and the protection of Georgians abroad, and helps to fulfill a requirement in Georgia's NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP). ¶2. (U) The Strategy lists specific actions to achieve broad goals. For example, under the goal of territorial integrity it lists developing and implementing peace plans for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, internationalizing the peacekeeping forces in the territories, and creating a joint UN/OSCE human rights office to facilitate the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to the conflict regions. Under Euro-Atlantic integration, it lists continuing the membership dialogue with NATO, pursuing closer relations with the EU, and adopting the European Neighborhood Action Plan (ENP). Under economic growth, it lists the promotion of foreign direct investment, exploiting the potential of Georgia as a corridor for energy transportation, and stimulating tourism. Under the support of Georgian citizens abroad, it lists combating human trafficking, developing a network of consular missions, and promoting Georgian labor migration. ¶3. (C) The Strategy is the first document of its kind issued by the MFA. Helen Khoshtaria of the GOG Ministry for EU and NATO integration told us that the document is designed to meet objective 1.1.2 of Georgia's IPAP, which calls on the GOG to "Provide more detailed, measurable and time-related Foreign and Security Policy objectives to serve as a basis for future evaluation." ¶4. (U) Comment: The publication of this clear and comprehensive Strategy document shows that NATO's recommendations are being internalized into GOG policy and that the GOG is taking concrete steps to make its foreign policy goals transparent and measurable. End Comment. TEFFT