GEORGIA - DEMARCHE REQUEST - ABKHAZ AND SOUTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 100791 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018 TAGS: UNSCR PREL GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA - DEMARCHE REQUEST - ABKHAZ AND SOUTH OSSETIAN PARTICIPATION IN UN DISCUSSIONS REF: A) USUN 801 B) STATE 92731 C) USUN 835 Classified By: IO Acting A/S Brian Hook for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. Posts, with the exception of Moscow, should approach host government at Foreign Minister/NSA or appropriately high level immediately to urge them to oppose participation by separatist leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Georgia) in UN Security Council discussions on Georgia. The United States believes that the international talks to be held on October 15 in Geneva provide the appropriate forum in which to hear from such leaders. Participation by Abkhaz and South Ossetian separatist leaders in UN Security Council discussions would only be misused to further the campaign to legitimize declarations of independence by Abkhazia and South Ossetia. ¶2. (C) Objectives -------------- -- Prevent the participation by representatives of separatist Abkhazia and South Ossetia in any Security Council meeting. We do not want to in any way provide Russia or the separatist regimes ammunition to legitimize these regions' declarations of independence and Russia's recognition of their status. -- Seek the commitment of the host government to vote "no" if the issue of the separatist leaders participation in a Security Council meeting comes to a procedural vote in the Council. -- Seek host government views on Russia's proposed October Arria-style meeting, including Russia's proposal to extend the UNOMIG mandate under its current name in return for allowing such a meeting to take place. Note our objection to the attendance of South Ossetians and Abkhaz representatives in those type of meetings and our concerns over UNOMIG discussions. ¶3. (SBU) Post should draw on the following guidance in discussions with host governments: -- The appropriate venue to hear the concerns of the separatist leaders is the October 15 international meeting in Geneva provided for in the September 8 agreement mediated by the EU Presidency.. Moreover, the Geneva talks would meet the intent and goal of point six in the President Medvedev-adopted August 12 agreement for the "opening of international discussions on security and stability modalities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia." UN Security Council discussions are not the appropriate venue in which to hear from the Abkhaz and South Ossetian leaders. -- Inviting the separatist leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Security Council discussions would be used by Russia as part of its campaign to legitimize its recognition of the separatist regions, which is inconsistent with numerous UN Security Council resolutions, including most recently UNSCR 1808 of April 2008. Bolstering Russia's recognition by voting to invite the separatist leaders to the Security Council would set a dangerous precedent. -- Before, during and after Russia's invasion of Georgia, the separatist leaders have also been complicit in the forced expulsion of the ethnic Georgian population from these regions, which continues to take place. The South Ossetian separatist leaders explicitly stated that they do not intend to allow ethnic Georgian internally displaced persons (IDP) to return to their homes. These constitute grave human rights abuses. Abkhaz separatist leaders have also stated that the return of all Georgian IDPs to Abkhazia is 'impossible.' -- It is inappropriate to confer any legitimacy on the separatist regions or the deplorable actions of their separatist leaders. Allowing such representatives to participate in UN Security Council discussions would not only be used to confer legitimacy on their independence claims and actions, but could also encourage leaders of other separatist groups to seek similar participation. -- Just as the U.S. does not support the separatist leaders' participation in a Council meeting, it does not think that a Council meeting is the appropriate venue to hear Abkhaz and South Ossetian IDPs, or 'governments in exile.' STATE 00100791 002 OF 002 -- The Council must maintain a unified message on supporting Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. -- Russia's proposed Arria-style meeting is likely a tactic to secure additional votes for a formal Council meeting by arguing that the U.S. is thwarting the desire of some Council members to hear from the Abkhaz and South Ossetian separatist leaders. Georgia has informed the United States that it no longer supports an Arria-style meeting that would include Abkhaz and South Ossetian separatist leaders. As stated, the United States believes that the appropriate venue for these separatist leaders to present their views is the October 15 meeting in Geneva, where their presence will not be used to imply some form of recognition or legitimization. Background -------------- ¶4. (C) On August 28, 2008, during an emergency session of the UN Security Council, the Council agreed that the separatist leaders from Abkhazia and South Ossetia should be "heard by the Council at some opportune moment and under a formula to be decided." We are seeking to prevent their participation in a meeting of the Council. Their participation in a Security Council meeting would add legitimacy to Russia's recognition of the independence of these two regions. ¶5. (C) Russia has informed Security Council members that it will invite 'foreign ministers' of the separatist regimes for an Arria-style meeting (an informal, and unofficial, meeting called by a member of the Security Council and held outside of Council chambers) on October 7 or 8. Russia has also called for their participation in formal Council discussions related to the October 15 expiration of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). The United States strongly opposes participation by the separatist regimes in UN Security Council discussions. ¶6. (C) Subsequently, on the sidelines of a meeting of a General Assembly Open Ended Working Group meeting on September 15, Russian Ambassador Churkin told Ambassador Khalilzad that the Russian government could support allowing an extension of the United Nations Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) under its current mandate and name (reftel C). Churkin said that Russia would not insist on having a representative of Abkhazia speak at the Council meeting if the Security Council were to agree that Georgia would also not be allowed to appear. This is unacceptable. Georgia would have to be allowed to attend a Council session called to discuss a UN mission located in Georgia. In return, Russia would want the United States to allow representatives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to attend an Arria-format meeting in the United States on October 7, as an alternative to their appearance at a formal Council session. A straight rollover of the UNOMIG mandate is not possible, however, as the current mandate of UNOMIG (set out in UN Security Council resolution 937) is tied to the monitoring and verification of implementation of the 1994 Moscow Agreement, which is no longer effective. As a result, any rollover resolution will likely not be a "technical" rollover but will involve both re-negotiation of the UNOMIG mandate and language which underscores Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. ¶7. (C) The United States is not obligated to issue visas to the separatist leaders to facilitate their participation in an Arria-style meeting, because it is not an official UN meeting. Based on the information available to us to date, the United States would likely be obligated under the UN Headquarters Agreement to issue visas for participation of such leaders in an official Security Council meeting. If seven or more UNSC members are opposed, then we can block participation by separatist leaders in a UNSC meeting. ¶8. (C) With regard to UNOMIG, the U.S. will also likely seek to secure Russia's agreement to a resolution to allow UNOMIG to continue operating temporarily (without changing its name) in the Abkhaz region of Georgia. The U.S. does not want separatist leaders from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to participate in UNOMIG discussions in any way. The U.S. is a strong proponent of preserving a UN role in the international mechanism for both Georgia and the region; a continuation of UNOMIG's operations in the Abkhaz region of Georgia will allow time to develop an appropriate regional mechanism, while at the same time permitting existing monitoring work on the ground to continue. Department Point of Contact -------------- ¶9. (U) Please report any response/reaction by host government AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to IO/UNP K.G. Moore, 202-647-0042, moorekg@state.gov. RICE