Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TBILISI2498
2008-12-31 10:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR SECRETARY RICE'S MEETING WITH

Tags:  PGOV PREL RU GG 
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O 311052Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0647
C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 002498 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL RU GG
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR SECRETARY RICE'S MEETING WITH
GEORGIAN FM VASHADZE

REF: TBILISI 2495

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

OVERVIEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 002498


E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL RU GG
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR SECRETARY RICE'S MEETING WITH
GEORGIAN FM VASHADZE

REF: TBILISI 2495

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

OVERVIEW


1. (C) New Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze's
first visit to the United States will be an auspicious one,
featuring the signing of the US-Georgian Charter on Strategic
Partnership. The Georgian government is enthusiastic about
the content and timing of the Charter, viewing it as a major
recommitment of the US to Georgia's sovereignty and security.
Vashadze will likely tell you that this is exactly the kind
of message needed in the current international environment.
Vashadze will lead a group of Ministers and the Supreme Court
Justice to the signing to underscore the seriousness with
which the Georgian government plans to implement the
agreement.


2. (C) Vashadze is looking forward to discussing with you
the current challenges facing the country, specifically what
is viewed in Tbilisi as the continuing Russian threat. As
the main Georgian interlocutor with the Russians for the past
year, Vashadze will be able to give you his personal
assessment of the current Russian approach. The visit
provides us the opportunity to commend the Georgians for
their continuing restraint in the face of ongoing
provocations from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Vashadze
will likely be interested in discussing the future of
international monitoring, in the wake of the recent failure
to renew the OSCE mandate for Georgia, and the possible
threat to UNOMIG renewal in February.


THE SECURITY SITUATION


3. (C) Georgian leaders hope that with the onset of winter,
the prospects for renewed Russian violence toward Georgia
have declined. Nevertheless, they remain worried that the
Russian army or FSB will encourage further attacks or
provocations on the boundaries with South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. There is particular concern in Tbilisi (and among
European Union Monitors and UNOMIG monitors) about the
possibility of the Abkhaz/Russians seizing three pieces of
still Georgian-occupied land on the north side of the Enguri
River, the de facto boundary with Abkhazia. There is also
government and public concern that Georgian policemen
continue to be killed or seriously wounded in cross-border
shootings or attacks by the South Ossetians and Abkhaz, as

well as possible Russian snipers. (para 2 Tbilisi 2495)


4. (C) Vashadze's visit provides an opportunity to applaud
the Georgians' restraint in the face of these continuing
provocations from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia into
undisputed Georgian territory. You can also draw out
Vashadze on Georgian thinking regarding future relations with
the territories. President Saakashvili and Vashadze told
Matt Bryza three weeks ago that they accept the "carrots and
sticks" policy which we suggested be applied toward the
territories. The government has not, however, spelled out in
any detail its plans for the regions.


GEORGIA WITHOUT THE OSCE AND UNOMIG?


5. (C) Georgia has long said that no OSCE mandate was better
than a bad one which would in any way recognize the
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, the
Georgians would clearly prefer the continuation of any and
all international monitors if suitable arrangements can be
worked out. They know that now Russia has blocked the renewal
of the OSCE mission in Georgia, practical issues must be
addressed. They will want the EU to continue its mission,
despite the Russian refusal to permit monitors into South
Ossetia or Abkhazia. Your meeting with Vashadze will present
an opportunity to discuss the future of the UNOMIG mandate.
So far the Russians and Abkhaz continue to hang tough in
QSo far the Russians and Abkhaz continue to hang tough in
their insistence onrevising the name of UNOMIG in order to
legitimize the government in Sukhumi and Tskhinvali.
Vashadze will likely seek your views on coordinating
international pressure on the Russians to permit the
continuation of UNOMIG, when the mandate comes up for
renewal on February 15, 2009.


GENEVA - WHERE WILL IT LEAD?


6. (C) Vashadze and Deputy Foreign Minister Bokeria have
been the key Georgian representatives at the Geneva talks.
Although they recognize little progress has been made, they
see value in keeping the forum going. Ironically, Geneva
provides the broader international forum on both territories
which the Georgians have been seeking for years. With the
next round of Geneva discussions set for mid-February, we
suggest you draw out Vashadze on Georgia's expectations for
the future. He is well aware that the next round will be in
the hands of the incoming Administration, but we believe it
is worthwhile to encourage him to be creative in the Georgian
approach to the discussion.


ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AND APP POTI PROPOSAL


5. (C) Vashadze can brief you on Georgia's efforts to manage
the economic fallout of the war and even more now the
international economic crisis. So far Georgia is managing
but the international credit crunch is starting to slow
business and lead to layoffs. We expect that Vashadze will
thank you for the continuing ship visits by the Sixth Fleet
(the USS Taylor was in Poti this week). He has also told us
he may raise the idea of opening a small US post in Poti
(i.e. American Presence Post). While it is clearly in
Georgia,s interest to have an official American presence
near Georgia,s major Black Sea port and close to Russian
positions in Abkhazia, it also could provide the U.S. with
much more direct knowledge of events in western Georgia.


VASHADZE - A DIFFERENT KIND OF FOREIGN MINISTER


6. (C) Grigol Vashadze (known as Grigory or Gia to his
friends) was appointed Foreign Minister by President
Saakashvili on December 10, 2008. Prior to taking up his
position, he served as Minister of Culture for approximately
one month and as Deputy Foreign Minister for nearly ten
months. He had been brought to that position by Saakashvili
to help him work with the Russians. Vashadze is different
from the other Georgian Foreign Ministers you have worked
with. Now 50 he served as a Soviet diplomat earlier in his
career and then as a businessman in Russia. He has both
Georgian and Russian citizenship. Born in Tbilisi, Vashadze
graduated from Moscow State Institute of International
Relations in 1981. He then joined the Soviet Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, while simultaneously receiving a master,s
degree in international law at the Soviet Diplomatic Academy.
During his career at the Soviet Foreign Ministry, Vashadze
represented the USSR at chemical weapons negotiations. He
was asked to leave the Foreign Ministry in 1987 when --
according to his account -- he took Gorbachev's perestroika
too seriously for his superiors. At that time he fell in
love with and married Nina Ananiashvili, then already a
famous Bolshoi prima ballerina. Vashadze helped manage her
career and developed business interests in Moscow and then in
New York, when Ananiashvili became the first Soviet dancer to
appear as a guest performer at the New York City Ballet in

1988. She subsequently became a principal dancer for the
American Ballet Theater in 1993 and in 1999 joined the
Houston Ballet. Vashadze returned to Georgia with his wife,
when she was appointed Artistic Director of the Georgian
Ballet in September 2004. Ananiashvili is also the godmother
to President Saakashvili,s youngest son, Nikoloz.


TEFFT