GEORGIAN LEADERS HAIL NATO MINISTERIAL AS SUCCESS,

UNCLAS TBILISI 002254

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIAN LEADERS HAIL NATO MINISTERIAL AS SUCCESS,
OPPOSITION DISAGREES


1. (U) Georgian government officials hailed this week's NATO
Ministerial in Brussels as a victory for Georgia. They said
the decision to intensify cooperation between Tbilisi and
NATO and invigorate the NATO-Georgia Commission (NGC) would
play a central role in moving Georgia toward membership.
State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze
called the decision "...an important element, which brings us
closer to the alliance and enables us to implement important
reforms in all spheres, according to NATO standards." Prime
Minister Mgaloblishvili was equally positive, saying that the
decision was a "...recognition of successful reforms" and
confirmed again the "key thesis of the Bucharest resolution."


2. (U) Opposition figures disagreed with the Government's
positive assessment. Several have stated that the
ministerial's result is not a victory, but a significant
loss. They blame Saakashvili for ruining Georgia's chances
at MAP. For the first time, Labor Party leader Shalva
Natelashvili publicly called for Georgia to give up its NATO
aspirations, saying the country should seek a non-aligned
status. He said "Saakashvili's dictatorial regime's
pathological drive to join NATO" has broken the country in
three. This is contrary to the joint opposition statement
Natelashvili signed in October 2008 calling for Georgia's
membership in NATO.


3. (U) Perhaps more significantly, former Parliamentary
Speaker Nino Burjanadze called NATO's decision not to grant
MAP "a huge step back for Georgia." At a press brief she
called for the occasion, Burjanadze said MAP has been
"postponed indefinitely for Georgia" due to Saakashvili's
mistakes. She blamed the decision on the President and
government, not just for its actions in August, but also the
failure to provide the necessary conditions for MAP
accession. This included Saakashvili's lack of commitment to
ensure necessary democratic reforms, which Burjanadze alleges
have lagged.


4. (SBU) Comment: Both the government and opposition are
trying to present the Brussels Ministerial to their
advantage. Opposition attacks on the issue are stronger than
in the past, and the fact that MAP appears off the table
provides an opening on a key Saakashvili policy objective.
Russian Prime Minister Putin was also quoted in the Georgian
press as hailing the decision in yet another stab at the
Saakashvili government and in spite of the Government's best
efforts, some Georgians see Brussels as a defeat for the U.S.
and for Georgia. In spite of that, for now, most Georgians
support membership in NATO and still see it as their
strongest, irreversible step into the West. End comment.
TEFFT