POLAND AHEAD OF U.S. ON SUPPORTING GEORGIA AT OSCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 001886 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017 TAGS: PREL MOPS OSCE PL SUBJECT: POLAND AHEAD OF U.S. ON SUPPORTING GEORGIA AT OSCE ON AUGUST 6 MISSILE ATTACK REF: SECSTATE 123276 Classified By: Polcouns Mary T. Curtin for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On September 5, Poloff demarched Elzbieta Beziuk of Polish MFA on supporting Georgia at the September 6 OSCE meeting (ref a). After offering Poland's complete cooperation at the September 6 meeting, Beziuk turned the tables and expressed three Polish aspirations on Georgia issues. One, that we expand the scope of this inquiry from the missile attack to the broader question of Russian-Georgian friction. Two, that we consider taking this broader issue from the OSCE to NATO. And three, that we follow-up on the British proposal to have another meeting on this issue in mid-September. ¶2. (C) Comment: Beziuk did not indicate that Poland would necessarily raise these issues at the September 6 meeting, nor that she had been instructed to raise them with Poloff, but her points are likely an indication of thinking on Georgia in the Polish government. End Comment. ASHE