ARNAULT RAISES POSSIBLE REQUEST FOR INCREASE IN

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SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG UNSC
SUBJECT: ARNAULT RAISES POSSIBLE REQUEST FOR INCREASE IN
UNOMIG FORCE LEVELS


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
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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
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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

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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
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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

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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