GOR REACTION TO THE GANARDZHIAS-MUKHURI INCIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 005247 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RS SUBJECT: GOR REACTION TO THE GANARDZHIAS-MUKHURI INCIDENT REF: TBILISI 2689 Classified By: Acting Political M/C Robert Patterson. Reasons 1.4 (B/D ). ¶1. (C) Summary. As noted reftel, on October 30, CIS peacekeepers were involved in a confrontation with Georgian forces near the cease fire line in Abkhazia. In a November 1 statement, the MFA insisted that the CIS forces were within their mandate and blamed Saakashvili for provoking a confrontation. End summary. ¶2. (U) In its November 1 statement, the MFA stressed that: -- the CIS Peacekeeping forces adhered to its mandate during the October 30 standoff with the Georgian side in Gnanrdzhias-Mukhuri. -- The Georgian forces behaved provocatively. --The behavior of the Georgian leadership engenders suspicion that the GOG's action was calculated to divert Georgians' attention from their simmering internal problems. ¶3. (C) MFA Regional Conflict Division Chief Aleksey Dvinyanin told us on November 1 that the GOR is in the process of verifying whether shots were fired at the CIS helicopter from the camp, which was supposed to be unarmed. He stressed that Saakashvili's appearance at the scene was "unnecessary and unhelpful." Dvinyanin said he could not imagine President Putin rushing out to the Russian Far East, in a comparable situation, to catch trespassing Japanese fishermen. What is urgently needed is a negotiation forum for the conflict, which could keep the involved sides in check and minimize the impact of small altercations before they become thorny issues, Dvinyanin argued. Burns