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