ALLIES POSITIVELY ASSESS GEORGIA'S PROGRESS, PUSH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USNATO 000316

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV NATO GG
SUBJECT: ALLIES POSITIVELY ASSESS GEORGIA'S PROGRESS, PUSH
FOR MORE IN LEGAL, ELECTORAL, DEFENSE REFORMS


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Richard G. Olson for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. During a May 16 meeting to review
Georgia's progress in implementing reforms over the last
year, Georgian Foreign Minister Bezhuashvili told the North
Atlantic Council that Georgia's democratic reforms were
moving ahead swiftly and that Georgia would like to move into
NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP) "in due course."
Bezhuashvili and the rest of the Georgian delegation
reiterated Georgia's commitment to the peaceful resolution of
the separatist conflicts, outlined progress in defense
reforms including near completion of its Strategic Defense
Review, and reiterated an invitation to the NAC to visit
Georgia. Allies praised Georgia's significant
accomplishments and urged it to do more to reform its legal
sector, prisons, electoral system, and long-term defense
planning including acquisitions. Several Allies expressed
support for moving Georgia to MAP, but Germany and France
stressed such a move would not be automatic. Ambassador
Nuland said Georgia,s dramatic progress vindicated the
Alliance's decision last fall to begin an Intensified
Dialogue (ID) with Georgia and said Georgia had come a long
way, but needed to keep up progress so it would be ready to
take the next step in its relationship with NATO as soon as
possible. END SUMMARY


2. (C) Describing Georgia's progress in meeting the reform
goals outlined in its Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP) with NATO, Georgian FM Bezhuashvili told the NAC that
Georgia's democratic transformation was moving ahead swiftly
and Georgia would continue with its reforms because its
chosen path of freedom and democracy was irreversible.
Georgia was contributing to security not only through its
contribution to NATO operations, but also through its
participation in important transnational energy projects
which were key to the diversification of energy transit
routes.


3. (C) Bezhuashvili said the separatist conflicts on
Georgian territory remained the most serious obstacle to
Georgia's full democratic transformation. He expressed
optimism about recent positive dynamics, however, and
reiterated Georgia's determination to resolve the conflicts
peacefully. In South Ossetia, the address of former
separatist leader Sanakoyev to the Georgian Parliament was a
dramatic step forward in resolving that conflict. Georgia
had established a temporary administrative unit headed by
Sanakoyev that would allow South Ossetians living in the
conflict zone the benefits of democratic governance.


4. (C) Bezhuashvili noted relations with Russia based on
partnership and equality were one of the main objectives of
Georgian foreign policy. Despite progress in the withdrawal
of Russian military bases from Georgian territory, the issue
of the Gudauta base remained unresolved. Bezhuashvili
repeated Georgia's invitation to the NAC to visit Tbilisi.
He noted he had handed the Secretary-General that morning a
revised Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with
updated reform goals. Bezhuashvili concluded by saying he
believed the reform process would be further strengthened by
an Alliance decision to offer Georgia participation in the
Membership Action Plan "in due course."


5. (C) Deputy Defense Minister Kutelia noted Georgia's
Euro-Atlantic integration was the subject of wide public
support and that the Georgian armed forces were identified as
the country's second most trusted institution after the
Georgian Orthodox Church. Kutelia said Georgia planned to
complete work on its Strategic Defense Review by July 2007,
and planned to share it with Allies in June for comments.
Acquisition policy still remained a problematic area where
Georgia required Allied assistance, especially since it had
limited access to Western markets. He noted that Georgia had
the smallest army in the region, with significant parts of it
deployed outside the country and with heavy military
equipment levels far below CFE treaty limits. He handed out
an information sheet (sent by e-mail to EUR/RPM and
EUR/CACEN) outlining how Georgia would spend the recent
increase in its defense budget. Kutelia noted Georgia would
continue to contribute to international security operations
and was in negotiations with a number of Allies about a new
deployment of up to 100 personnel to ISAF.


6. (C) Though the lengthy Georgian presentations left
little time for Perm Reps to respond, those who spoke praised
Georgia's significant progress in reforms despite external
pressures and urged Georgia to achieve more in the areas of
judicial reform, detention facilities, and mid- and long-term
defense planning. Ambassador Nuland said that Georgia's
dramatic progress and contributions to global security had

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vindicated NATO's decision of last fall to move Georgia into
Intensified Dialogue. She noted the U.S. would like to see
Georgia ready for the next step in its relations with NATO as
soon as possible. To get there, Georgia needed to keep
relations with Russia cool and not rise to provocations.
Domestically, Georgia should focus its efforts on the areas
cited in the IPAP assessment, especially electoral reform,
prison reform, legal sector reform and the rule of law.
Completing the Strategic Defense Review would be important
and Georgia needed to ensure its defense spending was thought
out and transparent. She noted Georgia had come a long way,
but needed to keep up its efforts.


7. (C) Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Romania all
expressed support for Georgia moving to MAP. Estonian Perm
Rep Tiido said the Frozen Conflicts should not be made an
obstacle to Georgia's further integration into NATO since to
do so would only prolong the conflicts. German Perm Rep
Duckwitz noted Georgia had made impressive progress on its
way to reforms, but sounded a more negative note by
emphasizing there was no automaticity in moving from
Intensified Dialogue to MAP or from MAP to membership.
French Perm Rep Duque welcomed Georgia's progress but noted
there were numerous remaining challenges. He urged Georgia
to continue to show moderation and restraint in dealing with
the separatist conflicts. Italian Perm Rep Stefanini
reiterated there was no automaticity in moving from ID to
MAP, but, at the same time, NATO's door remained open to new
members.


8. (C) Spanish Perm Rep Benavides, noting the Spain served
as Chairman in Office of the OSCE, urged Georgia to implement
the OSCE recommendations for strengthening the electoral
system before the 2008 elections and expressed concerns about
a further deterioration in South Ossetia zone of conflict
following violence over the weekend. He urged Georgia to
continue to show restraint.


9. (C) The Czech Republic and Romania expressed support for
the NAC visit to Georgia and the Secretary-General said that
the NAC would discuss the invitation further during its
internal consultations.
NULAND