GUIDANCE FOR PROPOSED UN APPEARANCE BY DE FACTO

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 032648 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2017 TAGS: UNSC PGOV PREL GG SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR PROPOSED UN APPEARANCE BY DE FACTO ABKHAZ FOREIGN MINISTER REF: A. TBILISI 459 ¶B. USUN 195 Classified By: IO PDAS James B. Warlick, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is an action request, see para 3. ¶2. (C) Background: Department is aware Russia is actively lobbying the Friends of Georgia, in Capitals and in New York, to allow the Abkhaz de facto foreign minister, Sergey Shamba, to attend an Arria style meeting prior to the UNOMIG mandate renewal on April 15. At Russian urging, the German Mission in New York, as the coordinator of the Friends of Georgia, has called a coordination meeting to discuss this as early as next week. ¶3. (C) Department has reiterated on several occasions to the Russian Government that the Friends have not reached agreement in Berlin, Geneva, or elsewhere that Mr. Shamba should come to New York in advance, or at the time of, the UNOMIG mandate renewal discussion, or that he should speak to the Security Council even in an Arria style meeting. USUN is instructed to work with other Friends of Georgia to present a unified response to the Russians noting that in principle there is a willingness to meet with an Abkhaz representative in New York but at an appropriate point in time, not before the UNOMIG mandate renewal, and after careful consideration of the format for the proposed meeting. Additionally, the Friends should be clear with Permanent Representative Ambassador Churkin that the UNOMIG mandate renewal should not be linked to the visit of Mr. Shamba. After UNOMIG is renewed, the Friends could consider the possibility of talks outside of the UNSC framework that include Mr. Shamba. Progress made by the sides in the overall context of conflict resolution efforts will also be a consideration in any decision to receive Mr. Shamba in New York. RICE