SECURITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS GEORGIAN REQUEST FOR

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000659 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC GG SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS GEORGIAN REQUEST FOR UNSC MEETING ON AUGUST 6 ATTACK REF: SECSTATE 111366 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In UNSC consultations on August 9, the Congolese Presidency raised Georgia's request for a Security Council meeting on the August 6 rocket attack on its territory. Russian PermRep Churkin announced that Russia preferred a "careful, joint investigation" with Georgia, and regretted Georgia's "hasty" request for a meeting, arguing there were no grounds for such action. The US, Slovakia, UK and France supported a meeting. Ambassador Khalilzad successfully arranged for the Congolese PermRep, as Council President, to consult bilaterally with Council members to see how to respond to the Georgian request and then report back in consultations as early as August 10. Ambassador Khalilzad also asked the UN Secretariat to look into the incident, including engagement with the OSCE, for the purpose of informing the Council. The Council also agreed to the suggestion by the representative from Slovakia to authorize the Congolese PermRep, to express the Council's concern about the matter when speaking to the press. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) In UNSC consultations on August 9, the Congolese Presidency raised Georgia's August 8 written request for a Security Council meeting on the recent rocket attack on its territory on August 6, noting Georgia had declared the attack was a threat to peace and security and international law. Russia's Ambassador Churkin responded that Moscow had been disturbed by the incident and that its military denied that any Russian military aircraft had been in the vicinity of the border. Russia favors a careful joint investigation involving the Georgian and Russian sides. Georgia, however was reacting hastily, claimed Churkin, making accusations and requesting a Security Council meeting. Georgia was also now destroying material proof of the incident. The request for a Security Council meeting was groundless, concluded Churkin. ¶3. (SBU) Ambassador Khalilzad spoke next and said the United States condemned the attack and supported urgent clarification of the facts. He also affirmed U.S. support for the Georgian government, Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a Council meeting. Ambassador Khalilzad then proposed that the Congolese PermRep, as Council President, consult bilaterally with members on a way forward and asked him to report back to the Council as early as August 10. He also asked the UN Secretariat to prepare to report on the incident, perhaps following consultations with the OSCE. ¶4. (SBU) The representative from Slovakia stated that it would be important to decide culpability and what action should be taken by the Security Council. He also suggested the possibility of integrating the ongoing investigation of the OSCE as a means of increasing cooperation with the UN. He said Slovakia supports a briefing by the Secretariat, and recommended that the Congolese President of the Council, when speaking to the press, express the Council's concern about the attack. The UK representative agreed the incident was very serious and a briefing was warranted. He reported that an OSCE monitoring team is currently conducting an initial assessment. He said the UK supports the Georgian request for a Security Council meeting and hopes the request could be sorted out. The new French PermRep stated that the incident was very serious but there was a lack of complete information. France supports the request for a Security Council meeting on the subject. The Chinese PermRep stated that China had reviewed the Georgian and Russian statements on the incident and noted that an OSCE investigation was ongoing. China hoped that relevant investigations would uncover the facts and believed that the Security Council should be prudent. Russia's Churkin spoke again, arguing that the UN had no presence in South Ossetia and therefore lacked information or the basis for a briefing. ¶5. (SBU) At the conclusion of the meeting, the US, UK and Slovakia coordinated with the Congolese PermRep to clarify that he will consult bilaterally with Council members to see how to meet the Georgian request and then report back in consultations on August 10 (although it is possible he could request additional time). After the meeting, the Congolese PermRep fielded a question from the press corps. He said that Council members agreed that there was a lack of sufficient information at this time, and noted that an OSCE investigation is underway. He explained that the Council remain in consultations on the matter, and observed that Georgia and Russia are in contact. He concluded by expressing his hope that something could be done in a timely fashion. KHALILZAD