Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
07USUNNEWYORK67 | 2007-01-26 22:10:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | USUN New York |
VZCZCXRO0265 PP RUEHBZ RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUCNDT #0067/01 0262210 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 262210Z JAN 07 FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1215 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0949 RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 3847 |
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000067 |
1. Sensitive but unclassified -- please protect accordingly. 2. (SBU) Summary: In a private meeting of the Security Council on October 6, United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Jean Arnault briefed Council members SIPDIS (and Germany as chair of the Friends) on the Secretary-General's January report. Arnault stressed the SIPDIS need for dialogue and said he hoped the Geneva meeting of the Friends February 12-13 would help further this goal. Arnault also said that in the future he might request a modest increase in the force level for military observers and police authorized in UNOMIG's mandate. The Russian Permrep Churkin charged that the Georgian special operation in Kodori continued to be an impediment to dialogue and that Georgia thus bore responsibility for the lack of dialogue between the parties. End Summary. Arnault Briefs In Private Meeting -------------------------- 3. (SBU) In a Security Council private meeting on Georgia on October 6, UNOMIG SRSG Jean Arnault briefed Council members on the Secretary General's latest report. Germany also attended as chair of the Group of Friends. Arnault said recent positive developments had included a decrease in Georgian armed personnel in the Upper Kodori Valley, agreement by the Abkhaz authorities to some deployment of UN police, and Georgian agreement to greater transparency in movements in the zone of conflict. There was reason to be hopeful about implementation of resolution 1716 by the April 15 mandate renewal deadline, said Arnault, but we could not be complacent, as much was needed to create confidence required for genuine political dialogue. Arnault said tensions are still high and claimed that the Abkhaz are totally against further dialogue unless the Georgians take actions to remove the Abkhaz Government in Exile from Kodori. Several killings recently on both sides of the ceasefire line had also heightened tensions. Arnault underscored that there is a "paramount need for maximum restraint" as well as to return to the security dialogue suspended in 2006. Although not mentioned in the written report, Arnault said UNOMIG was increasing its activity level in the conflict zone and would soon employ its full strength of military and UN police and may ask for a modest increase in its mandated levels. Arnault stated that he hoped the Geneva Friends' meeting February 12-13 would be an opportunity to build understanding between the two sides. "Closed" Consultations -------------------------- 4. (SBU) After SRSG Arnault's briefing, Security Council members adjourned to closed consultations (i.e. Arnault and Secretariat staff were present, but Germany was not) and all SIPDIS made national statements. Slovakia expressed support for Georgia's territorial integrity, sovereignty and existing agreements between the two sides, noting Slovaks believed a settlement of the Abkhazia conflict within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia was possible despite the difficulties on the ground. Slovakia also supported a possible modest increase in UNOMIG's authorized force level. 5. (SBU) Delivering the US statement, Ambassador Sanders expressed concern about human rights abuses in Gali and elsewhere in Abkhazia, welcomed the return of joint patrols to the Upper Kodori Valley, welcomed the willingness of the Georgian side to cooperate with UNOMIG on all remaining concerns about the Kodori Valley operation and supported a return to direct and sustained dialogue. She made clear that as a member of the Friends we were ready to support these efforts. The UK and France both expressed support for Arnault and his efforts to promote dialogue. Russian Statement -------------------------- 6. (SBU) In Russia's intervention, Ambassador Churkin declared that he was pleased with UNOMIG-CIS cooperation and said that CIS peacekeepers were continuing to play a stabilizing role. He averred that despite some progress in implementing UNSCR 1716, the Georgian special operation continues to be an impediment to resumption of dialogue. Churkin said there should be reduction of the Georgian presence in Kodori from 500 to "a more reasonable level that would be proportionate with population and size of the area." He argued that it would not be acceptable to build infrastructure there to support a possible attack or store weapons. "The near-sighted actions of Georgia are not compatible with its stated goals and Abkhaz have every right USUN NEW Y 00000067 002 OF 002 to see them as provocative," charged Churkin. "The Georgians are the ones responsible for blocking negotiations," he added. Churkin requested the floor again at the end of the consultations and queried Arnault on why he talked about asking for an increased force level for UNOMIG's mandate in the future when the mission was not fully staffed on its current mandate now. Arnault responded that the greater Abkhaz flexibility recently on police as well as new demands created by patrols in the Upper Kodori Valley had increased UNOMIG's workload. WOLFF |