DEMARCHE RESPONSE: COSTA RICA OPPOSES ABKHAZ AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 000762

SIPDIS

FOR WHA, WHA/CEN AND IO/UNP:KMOORE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: CR GG PGOV PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE RESPONSE: COSTA RICA OPPOSES ABKHAZ AND
SOUTH OSSETIAN PARTICIPATION IN FORMAL UNSC MEETINGS ON
GEORGIA

REF: A. WHA/CEN-SAN JOSE EMAIL

B. STATE 100791

Classified By: Classified by Pol-Economic Counselor David E. Henifin pe
r 1.4(d)


1. (C) On September 15, in a pull aside during local
national day celebrations, DCM Brennan raised the Abkhazia
and South Ossetia meeting idea with President Oscar Arias and
FM Bruno Stagno as directed per Ref A. Because of the
setting, the conversation was brief and general. Arias and
Stagno supported the idea of an informal meeting, in
principle.


2. (C) On September 16, Pol-Econ/Counselor followed up with
Stagno,s COS, Antonio Alarcon, who echoed his minister,s
and president,s views. &Of course8 Costa Rica would
support an informal (Arria-format) meeting, he said. The
GOCR remained in favor of &hearing all sides8 on the
Georgia issue. Alarcon could not say, however, whether or
not the GOCR would actually vote against any official UNSC
sessions to discuss the Georgia issue that include reps from
the two break-away areas. He agreed that Russia would
certainly favor/push for official Abkhazia and South Ossetia
inclusion in official sessions, but said he would have to
check with Stagno before responding to us on the GOCR,s
position.


3. (C) After conferring with FM Stagno, Alarcon confirmed on
September 17 that Costa Rica strongly favors an informal
&Arria8 style meeting on this issue so that all sides can
be heard, and that Costa Rica would vote against any official
UNSC meeting on Georgia that included representatives from
the the breakaway areas. Alarcon stressed that &we share
your (USG) views on this,8 and he reiterated that position
in a follow-up conversation with Pol-Econ Counselor on
September 22 (based on Ref B).
CIANCHETTE