RUSSIA-GEORGIA: "ZERO RESULT" YAKOBASHVILI VISIT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 001408

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA-GEORGIA: "ZERO RESULT" YAKOBASHVILI VISIT,
BAGAPSH DUE IN MOSCOW

REF: A. YEKATERINBURG 35

B. MOSCOW 1335

Classified By: Charge Daniel A. Russell for reasons 1.4 (B/D).


1. (C) Summary: Russian officials told us that Georgian
Reintegration Minister Yakobashvili's May 16-17 trip to
Moscow yielded nothing "positive or substantive." Although
DFM Karasin and other GOR officials discussed with
Yakobashvili the key issues related to the separatist
conflicts, the MFA expressed concern that Saakashvili
selected Yakobashvili as his envoy to Moscow and was
disappointed that he brought no new proposals. Russia
reiterated its rejection of any change to the negotiating
formats, while acknowledging the JCC for South Ossetia was
frozen at least until the May parliamentary elections in
Georgia. Abkhaz "President" Bagapsh is due to arrive in
Moscow the evening of May 19, but MFA officials denied press
reports that Bagapsh aimed to convince Moscow to sign off on
a secret settlement plan. In contrast with earlier
statements, the MFA welcomed EUR DAS Bryza's decision to
visit Moscow in June and U.S. efforts to restrain
Saakashvili. End summary.

Yakobashvili Trip Unproductive
--------------


2. (C) GOR officials termed Georgian Minister of
Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili's May 16-17 visit to Moscow
a "zero-result" trip. MFA Fourth CIS Department Deputy
Director Dmitriy Tarabrin told us May 19 that Yakobashvili
met with DFM Grigoriy Karasin, GOR Special Negotiator for
South Ossetia Yuriy Popov and Ambassador-at-large for CIS
Affairs Valeriy Keniyakin. Russian and Georgian officials
discussed all issues, including the April 16 Putin
"instructions," Russia's pullout of the CIS sanctions, CIS
peacekeepers' role in the zone of conflict, IDPs' return, and
negotiation processes for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but the
MFA stressed that Yakobashvili brought no new proposals and
all issues remained the same as before.


3. (C) While Russia regularly has criticized Georgia for
failing to send an envoy to Moscow to discuss the latest
flare up in tensions, MFA Fourth CIS Department Deputy
Director Aleksey Pavlovskiy told us that Yakobashvili was not
what Russia had in mind. Recalling Yakobashvili's recent
statements in Brussels on the Russian "fascist" government,
which were reported widely in Russian press, Pavlovskiy
stressed that Yakobashvili was not in a good position to seek
a common language with Russian officials.


4. (C) Popov said that Yakobashvili and the new Georgian
Ambassador Kitsmareshvili's two-hour discussion with him and
Keniyakin yielded nothing positive or substantive. Popov
reiterated that he did not understand why Yakobashvili came
to Moscow, when he had nothing new to offer and was not
willing to make a compromise. Popov commented that the visit
was likely "another pre-election gesture" by Saakashvili.

No Change in Negotiating Formats,
Bagapsh To Visit Moscow
--------------


5. (C) In a recent press conference, Lavrov lashed out
against Georgian attempts to change the negotiating processes
for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and called on Georgia to work
within the current framework (ref A). MFA officials agreed
that the Abkhazia conflict could be resolved only at the
highest level between Saakashvili and Abkhaz "president"
Bagapsh, who is due to arrive for another Moscow visit in the
evening of May 19. All denied that there was a secret plan,
for which Bagapsh was seeking a Moscow endorsement, as
reported by Kommersant. Bagapsh is scheduled to meet with FM
Lavrov and DFM Karasin on May 20. On South Ossetia, Popov
stressed that there was no good way to "revive" the Joint
Control Commission (JCC) at this point and he only hoped that
after the May 21 parliamentary elections in Georgia, the GOG
would choose a softer stance.


6. (C) Despite the MFA's earlier criticisms of Bryza's
statements in Tbilisi (ref B),Tarabrin said Russia welcomed
DAS Bryza's early June visit to Moscow, underscoring that the
GOR continued to appreciate U.S. efforts to restrain
Saakashvili from engaging in a military adventure.
Separately, EU officials report that Tarabrin credited Bryza
with preventing a shooting war.
RUSSELL