Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI1857
2007-07-31 12:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

DFM MANJGALADZE EXPRESSES GOG CONCERN OVER UNSYG

Tags:  PREL PGOV GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6951
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSI #1857 2121243
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311243Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7164
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 4574
UNCLAS TBILISI 001857 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: DFM MANJGALADZE EXPRESSES GOG CONCERN OVER UNSYG
REPORT ON ABKAHZIA


UNCLAS TBILISI 001857

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: DFM MANJGALADZE EXPRESSES GOG CONCERN OVER UNSYG
REPORT ON ABKAHZIA



1. Summary: On July 27, Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgi
Manjgaladze called a meeting of the Group of Friends of the
Secretary General to express Georgia's concerns about the UN

SIPDIS
Secretary General's interim report on the situation in

SIPDIS
Abkhazia. German, Russian, British, U.S. representatives
attended. Manjgaladze said that while the Georgian
government appreciated the comprehensive nature of the
report, they had two major concerns: one, that the United
Nations Observer Mission to Georgia and the Group of Friends
are focusing too much on technical issues and not enough on
broader strategic goals like the resolution of the conflict
and return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to
Abkhazia; and two, requested that the Group of Friends and
UNOMIG continue the investigation into the March 11 attack on
Georgian government buildings in Kodori. German Ambassador
Flor, speaking on behalf of the Friends, assured Manjgaladze
that they would communicate his message to their respective
capitals and stressed that it was also important to raise
these concerns with Special Representative of the Secretary
General (SRSG) Jean Arnault, as the report was a UN
responsibility. End Summary.

Group of Friends "losing the forest for the trees"
-------------- --------------


2. Manjgaladze began the meeting with some faint praise of
the report, calling it "comprehensive," and saying that it
reflects most of the main issues dealing with resolution of
the conflict. He also noted that it was the first UN report
to properly identify the government of Upper Abkhazia by its
official name, which, he said, reflects an acknowledgment of
the situation on the ground. Georgian concerns were twofold.
First, he said, UNOMIG and the Group of Friends were "losing
the forest for the trees" by focusing too much on technical
issues and not enough on strategic goals like the resolution
of the conflict and return of IDPs. Recent attempts by the
Abkhaz de facto authorities to privatize and sell IDP
property in violation of Georgian law, he said, emphasized
the need for an energetic response from the Group of Friends
on IDP return. (Note: Manjgaladze reiterated in a separate
meeting to the whole diplomatic corps July 30 that
acquisition of Georgian property in Abkhazia is illegal and
risky to the investor. End note). He said that these
strategic goals have become of secondary importance to the
Group of Friends, which has instead focused on troop
movements and checkpoints. This was unacceptable to the
Georgian government, he said, because there was already a
framework in place for resolving technical issues.


3. The second Georgian concern was the investigation into
the March 11 attack on Georgian government buildings in the
Kodori Gorge. According to Manjgaladze, the inconclusive
nature of the report was a "dangerous development," because
there was nothing in the report to assign responsibility and
consequences for the attack, which could lead to further
provocations. He called the attack an act of war against
Georgia and said the international community needs to show
that they are willing to pursue the perpetrators and punish
them. He said the Georgian government was strongly
requesting the Group of Friends and UNOMIG to continue the
investigation until it produces conclusive results. He also
called on the Russian side to be more cooperative with the
investigation. If they do not, he said, then Georgia could
hardly see Russia as a member of the Group of Friends.


4. Speaking on behalf of the Friends, German Ambassador Flor
assured Manjgaladze that they would communicate his message
to their respective capitals, but that they had no official
reaction at that time. She said that the Friends shared
Georgia's approach on the need to look at the larger picture,
noting that the Friends' February Non-Paper addresses the
strategic goals mentioned by Manjgaladze. She added that it
was also important for the Georgian government to raise their
concerns with SRSG Arnault, as the report was a UN
responsibility. Manjgaladze replied that the Georgian
government does not see the Group of Friends and UNOMIG as
separate, but they would of course raise it with Arnault as
well.
TEFFT