CYPRUS WILL NOT REBUT RUSSIA'S GENOCIDE CLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L NICOSIA 000764 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CHANGED SUBJECT LINE TEXT) SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/ERA, EUR/CASC, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018 TAGS: PHUM CY GG RS XG XH SUBJECT: CYPRUS WILL NOT REBUT RUSSIA'S GENOCIDE CLAIMS AGAINST GEORGIA REF: A. SECSTATE 98030 ¶B. NICOSIA 717 Classified By: DCM Jonathan Cohen, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) (C) Per Ref A, PolOff demarched Cypriot MFA European Division diplomats Nikos Panayiotou and Selena Shambos on September 22 regarding spurious Russian claims alleging that Georgia, among other "crimes," had committed genocide in South Ossetia. Shambos responded that Cyprus had supported recent EU statements on the need to end hostilities in Georgia, ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the conflict zone, and reach a lasting solution to the Caucasus conflict. The EU was trying to portray itself as the "honest broker" in the region, and issuing a critical statement singling-out Russia would undercut its own efforts. Shambos added that such a declaration could raise temperatures further in the already-tense region. Rather, the GOC wanted the situation to stabilize, and desired to focus "on the long-term" in the Caucasus. Concluding the discussion, she reiterated Cyprus's "principled position" to support Georgia's (and all sovereign states') territorial integrity. Urbancic