HUNGARY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE SOUTH OSSETIA AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUDAPEST 000849

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RU HU
SUBJECT: HUNGARY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE SOUTH OSSETIA AND
ABKHAZIA INDEPENDENCE

REF: A. SECSTATE 91894

B. BUDAPEST 0844

Classified By: DCM Jeffrey Levine, reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) In discussion of ref A with PolOff on August 27, MFA
Russia and Balkans Deputy Department Head Istvan Ijgyarto
called attention to Foreign Minister Goncz's comments today
that Hungary will not recognize the independence of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia. He also provided the official MFA
response (para 3) to the Russian President's announcement
recognizing the independence of the two break-away regions.


2. (C) Earlier on August 27, MFA Senior State Secretry
Marta Fekszi called the DCM to request assistance in
arranging contact with the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi for a
Hungarian team leaving August 28 to begin accelerated efforts
to establish the Hungarian Embassy in the Georgian capital
(ref B.) DCM passed U.S. Embassy Tbilisi contact information
directly to MFA Security and Non-Proliferation Department
Head Vilmos Hamikus who will lead the Hungarian delegation to
Georgia.


3. (U) The following is the August 26 MFA statement in
response to the Russian President's decree on South Ossetia
and Abkhazia:

Begin official MFA statement

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Hungary
learned with regret that the Russian President signed the
decree recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia and the state Duma, in a call to the parliaments of
the members of the United Nations and to the international
parliamentary organizations initiated the "recognition of
Abkhazia and South-Ossetia as sovereign and independent
states".

The foreign ministry's position is that these decisions do
not serve the stability of the Caucasus region and do not
advance negotiations over a settlement of the very conflict
which has produced severe humanitarian and material
consequences. The unilateral initiative of the Russian
parliament - of a Russia which earlier defined itself as an
independent external peacekeeper - cannot serve as a legal
basis on which to settle the issue. Nor does its content or
spirit accord with the extant agreement between the European
Union President and the President of the Russian Federation,
which has the widespread support of the international
community.

The Republic of Hungary, as a member of the European Union
and NATO, firmly stands by the position that this conflict
can and must be solved through dialogue and by peaceful
means, respecting the territorial integrity of Georgia and
its internationally recognized borders.

End Statement
Foley