UN TO USE UNOMIG RENEWAL TO MOVE SIDES FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 000405

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: UN TO USE UNOMIG RENEWAL TO MOVE SIDES FORWARD

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT. REASONS: 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) On February 27, UN Special Representative to the
Secretary General (SRSG) for Georgia Jean Arnault briefed the

SIPDIS
Friends of the Secretary General (FSG) on UN plans to use the
April 15 deadline for renewal of the UN Observer Mission in
Georgia (UNOMIG) to push the sides to fulfill their
obligations under UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR)

1716. On the Abkhaz side, he planned to press for opening
the UN Human Rights Office (HRO) in Gali, allowing additional
UN Civilian Police (CIVPOL) in Gali, and allowing instruction
in Georgian in Gali. On the Georgian side, he planned to
push for three issues on Upper Abkhazia: more joint
patrolling, reduction of police, and an accounting of the
heavy weaponry left by warlord Kvitsiani. He also planned to
press for an airtight regime of notification and verification
with the Georgians of everything moving into Upper Abkhazia.
He hoped to have this agenda accomplished by the end of
March, when the Mission would need to submit its report to
the UN, and asked for the Friends support with the sides.
End summary.


2. (C) At a meeting convened by the German Chair of the
Friends of the Secretary General, UN SRSG Jean Arnault
briefed the representatives of the Friends (Ambassador Tefft
(U.S.),Ambassador MacLaren (UK),DCM Fabienne Drout-Lozinski
(France) Ambassador Flor (Germany) and Ambassador Kovalenko
(Russia)) on UN plans to use the April 15 deadline for UNOMIG
renewal to push the sides to fulfill their obligations under
UNSCR 1716. He noted that some things were impossible to
conclude by the deadline, including signing the document on
the non-use of force and return of internally displaced
persons (IDPs) as well as a high level meeting between
President Saakashvili and de facto president Bagapsh. But
others, he thought, were possible to conclude before the
Mission must submit its report to the UN by the end of March.
These included:

-- On the Abkhaz side, he would press for the opening of the
UN HRO in Gali, allowing additional UN CIVPOL in Gali,
allowing instruction in Georgian in Gali, and guaranteeing
residency rights for ethnic Georgians living there.

-- On the Georgian side, he would push for three items with
regard to Upper Abkhazia: further joint CIS-UNOMIG
patrolling, which he said had been agreed at a meeting that
day for an extended two-day patrol the week of March 5 (he
did not expect the Abkhaz to join this patrol because of its
proximity to the Abkhaz parliamentary elections March 4);
further rationalization of Georgian police forces, where he
assessed there was room for additional downsizing from the
estimated force of 250 officers; and an accounting of the
weaponry left by warlord Emzar Kvitsiani, which he said
included heavy weapons such as anti-aircraft artillery. He
planned also to press for an airtight notification and
verification regime with Georgia for everything moving into
Upper Abkhazia from Zugdidi.


3. (C) Arnault asked that the Friends reinforce these
requests with the Georgians and the Abkhaz in order to take
advantage of the deadline posed by the UNOMIG mandate
renewal. He thought that a message that responding to these
requests would help contribute to a good UNSCR would have
resonance with the parties, as they would be able to go to
the renewal as parties in good standing with the UN.


4. (C) Arnault also updated on other outstanding issues in
response to questions. On the UN HRO, he said that he hoped
to have two UN Human Rights Officers in permanent offices in
Gali by the week of March 5, and that he might suggest that
the Friends travel there to inaugurate the new office. On
the Georgian appointment to the Quadripartite Meetings, he
said that he has received different names from different
offices in the Georgian Government and hoped this would be
resolved soon. On the UNHCR strategy, he said that initial
indications from the Georgians were not positive - the
current position is that the strategy can go forward without
IDP verification (counting) - but argued against focus on
this issue at this time. In response to a question, he said
the Abkhaz are convinced the security incidents in Gali are
the result of a Georgian Government backed operation,
although the UN has no way to confirm or deny this
allegation.
TEFFT