CHILE ON THE SIDELINES ON SOUTH OSSETIA/ABKHAZIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTIAGO 000843 SIPDIS PASS TO WHA/CEN BERT KRAAIMOORE, EUR/SCE SEIJI SHIRATORI, WILLIAM TOMLYANOVICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2018 TAGS: MOPS PREL GG NU RU KV CI SUBJECT: CHILE ON THE SIDELINES ON SOUTH OSSETIA/ABKHAZIA ISSUE REF: A. STATE 96677 ¶B. SANTIAGO 779 Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Chief Tim Stater for reason 1.4 (b). ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered Ref A demarche to Eduardo Schott, MFA Deputy Director for European Affairs, on September 15. Schott reiterated the position he elaborated on August 27--Chile has no plans to recognize either South Ossetia or Abkhazia (Ref B). Schott was unconcerned by Nicaragua's recognition of the two regions, saying that Nicaragua was isolated in its action but had the right to make its own foreign policy decisions. He maintained that Nicaragua's action would have little bearing on decisions by other Latin American countries as to whether or not to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and that CUBA and Venezuela were the only countries in the region he thought might extend recognition. Given this assessment, Schott thought it was unnecessary for Chile to publicly express concern over the action or discuss it with Nicaragua. Finally, Schott added that the current crisis in Bolivia is the central concern of the region, so that other Latin American countries are distracted from events in the Republic of Georgia. ¶2. (C) Schott went on to say that it was no surprise that Kosovo's independence was being used to justify other independence movements. Concerns that recognizing Kosovar integrity would lead to additional bids for independence were a central factor in Chile's decision not to recognize Kosovo, he said. Schott acknowledged Poloff's points that Kosovo was a categorically different situation given the UN-sanctioned international administration and security guarantees, but said that nonetheless the situations were similar enough that some actors could claim--justifiably or not--a Kosovo precedent. SIMONS