RUSSIA SIGNS TREATIES OF FRIENDSHIP AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 002805

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR GG RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIA SIGNS TREATIES OF FRIENDSHIP AND
COOPERATION WITH ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA; INSTRUCTS
RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO PREVENT INTER-ETHNIC VIOLENCE

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Alice G. Wells. Reasons 1.
4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. The treaties signed by Medvedev on September
17 with the Abkhaz and South Ossetian leaders give
signatories the right to build military infrastructure and
bases on each other's territory; call for joint consultations
in the event of an attack or threat of attack on any party;
provide for dual citizenship; and agree to expand trade,
economic and energy integration. Both territories will apply
for CIS and CSTO membership, ratcheting up pressure for
Russia's neighbors to recognize diplomatically. The MFA told
us FM Lavrov instructed the head of Russian peacekeeping
forces in South Ossetia to look into and report on claims of
attacks on Georgian villages and to take steps to prevent
inter-ethnic violence. Russia will look to France for
proposals on the particulars of the October 15 security
conference, only insisting that Abkhazia and South Ossetia be
represented. Moscow does not require that the two leaders
approve a renewal of the UNOMIG mandate, but believes they
should be allowed to participate in the debate at the UN. We
pressed MFA again to return the five U.S. HUMVEEs taken from
Poti to U.S. custody. End summary.

Treaties Allow for Bases, Dual Citizenship
--------------


2. (SBU) Medvedev, Abkhaz leader Bagapsh and South Ossetian
leader Kokoity signed Treaties of Friendship, Cooperation and
Mutual Assistance in Moscow on September 17. The key
elements of the Treaties are:
-- Right to build military infrastructure and bases on each
other's territory (agreements to be concluded in the future);
joint consultations to be held in the event of an attack or
threat of attack on any signatory;
-- Joint efforts to protect the national border between
Russia and Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
-- Each signatory's citizens to have the right to hold
citizenship of the other in accordance with the laws and
conditions of the first signatory (agreement to be concluded
in the future regulating dual citizenship issues);
recognition of each other's passports;
-- Work to attain a high level of economic integration;
expand trade and economic cooperation, and integrate energy,
transport and telecommunications systems; and
-- Harmonize laws regulating businesses, including civil and
tax laws, social benefits and pensions.


3. (C) Following the signing, Bagapsh and Kokoity announced
that they would seek CIS and CSTO membership. Kokoity said
South Ossetia would not give up its independence, but would
"join Russia by way of integration." In what struck us as
wishful thinking, Aleksandr Belkin of the Council on Foreign
and Defense told us it was more likely that Russia would
eventually let North Ossetia secede and reunite with South
Ossetia as an independent state, since "no sane Russian wants
more Caucasians in Russia."

Russia to Investigate, Prevent Inter-ethnic Violence
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Russia will investigate allegations of attacks on two
Georgian villages in South Ossetia and claims that Georgians
were being driven out of their homes, MFA 4th CIS Deputy
Director Semyon Grigoriev told us September 16. The head of
the OSCE humanitarian mission had raised the allegations with
FM Lavrov during his September 14-15 trip to the region,
Grigoriev said, and had told Lavrov there were only 10 people
left in one village and 15 in the other. Lavrov had
contacted the Russian head of the peacekeeping force and told
him to check into the allegations and to report back to
Moscow. Lavrov also told him to take measures to "prevent
any cases of interethnic violence," Grigoriev claimed.


5. (C) The OSCE head also asked Lavrov to assist in arranging
the visit of the OSCE HiRep for National Minorities to
Tskhinvali and Georgian enclaves in South Ossetia, according
to Grigoriev. Lavrov had asked Kokoity and South Ossetian
officials to allow access, which they agreed to do, even
though they argued the OSCE had not acted in accordance with
its mandate, because they "knew about Georgia's attacks."

October 15 Conference
--------------


6. (C) Russia had not yet elaborated views on the conference,
Grigoriev said, other than that Abkhazia and South Ossetia
should be represented. He said the MFA would reach out to

MOSCOW 00002805 002 OF 002


the French to get their position on participants, agenda, and
other particulars of the conference.

OSCE/UNOMIG Mandates
--------------


7. (C) Grigoriev reiterated the GOR position that only the 8
existing OSCE and the UNOMIG monitors could have access to
the two regions. He said Russia was not insisting that the
mandate for the renewal of the UNOMIG Mission had to be
approved by the Abkhaz and South Ossetian leaders, but
believed their opinion should be heard and they should be
allowed to participate in the debate at the UN. He said he
thought Russia would agree to an Arria-style discussion.

U.S. HUMVEEs
--------------


8. (C) Grigoriev said he would tell "his bosses" that we had
raised the issue again, and that they shouldn't "forget about
it." He had no new information to provide.

Comment
--------------


9. (C) Having the territories apply for CIS and CSTO
membership may just be a shot across the bow, but - if
actually pursued - will increase pressure on Russia's
neighbors to take a stand on recognition. While Russia has
denied any interest in pressuring other states to go along
with its fait accompli, pushing membership in CIS and CSTO
would reflect Russian unhappiness over the reluctance of its
neighbors to fall in line with Russian diplomacy.

BEYRLE