UNGA DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO GEORGIAN MFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 001572 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM RU GG SUBJECT: UNGA DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO GEORGIAN MFA REF: SECSTATE 95334 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (SBU) Post delivered reftel demarche to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on September 9, 2008. Present at the meeting were MFA Head of International Organizations Office Alexander Nalbandov and MFA Head of the Americas Division Levan Nizharadze. ¶2. (C) After Poloff outlined the demarche and requested cooperation, Nalbandov agreed to take the demarche into consideration and promised to forward it to the appropriate offices. Nalbandov added that Georgia is always against non-action motions and Georgia will listen to all countries' opinions, regardless. Nalbandov emphasized that human rights are a top-priority issue for Georgia. Nalbandov asked that the United States pay particularly close attention to human rights issues for all internally displaced persons and refugees from all regions of Georgia. ¶3. (SBU) Nalbandov could not confirm the names of all the participants in the Georgian UNGA delegation but he did confirm that President Saakashvili, Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili, and MFA Deputy Americas Division Director Sergei Kapanadze will attend. Foreign Minister Tkeshelashvili will deliver a statement in Toronto at an OSCE meeting on/around September 19, 2008. She and Kapanadze will arrive in New York on September 20, and attend the UNGA from September 22. President Saakashvili is tentatively scheduled to attend the UNGA from September 22-25. TEFFT