SAAKASHVILI DISMISSES ANTI-NATO DEBATE AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 000387

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG RU
SUBJECT: SAAKASHVILI DISMISSES ANTI-NATO DEBATE AND
NEUTRALITY

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) At a February 23 news conference, President
Saakashvili dismissed as "foolish" the recent public debate
over whether Georgia's NATO aspirations will prevent it from
restoring territorial integrity over the separatist regions
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The debate began on February
16, when Traditionalist Party leader Akaki Asatiani stated on
a popular TV show that the GOG should consider a policy of
neutrality and abandon its NATO aspirations in order to
receive unspecified "concessions" from Russia on the
breakaway regions. Asatiani was referencing a February 6
call by Russian Ambassador Kovalenko, for Georgia to become a
"neutral state."


2. (U) Senior ruling party MPs dismissed Asatiani's comments,
calling them part of an "anti-NATO campaign" implemented by
"marginalized Georgian political forces," and sponsored by
the Kremlin. Givi Targamadze, chair of the defense and
security committee in Parliament, said this campaign is
designed to derail Georgia's NATO bid. He added the campaign
is based on two false premises: that if Georgia were to give
up its NATO bid, then Russia would "restore Georgia's
territorial integrity over Abkhazia and South Ossetia," and
that NATO integration would make it impossible for Georgia to
regain the separatist territories. The National Movement
called on all political parties to voice their positions on
Georgia's NATO accession.


3. (C) During a series of meetings with Ambassador, senior
opposition leaders including Salome Zourabichvili of
Georgia's Way and David Usupashvili of the Republican Party
-- who support NATO accession as a national priority -- said
that although NATO integration remains popular among
Georgians, the neutrality argument could have some traction
if it were perceived to lead to the return of the
territories, particularily Abkhazia. They underlined that
the public consistently ranks restoring Georgia's territorial
integrity as the number one GOG priority.

4. (C) Comment: Saakashvili's public dismissal of "trading
Georgia's NATO aspirations for Russian concessions on the
separatist regions," is a first step to the ongoing public
information campaign about the benefits and responsibilities
of NATO membership. We will encourage the GOG to follow this
up with continued outreach efforts. The resonance this idea
has in some sectors of the public indicates how important
reclaiming the separatist territories remain in the minds of
most Georgians. End Comment.
TEFFT