IAKOBASHVILI OUTLINES CIS PKF VIOLATIONS IN LETTER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000803 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV GG SUBJECT: IAKOBASHVILI OUTLINES CIS PKF VIOLATIONS IN LETTER TO SRSG ARNAULT ¶1. Summary: On May 2, State Minister for Conflict Resolution Temur Iakobashvili sent a letter (faxed to EUR/CARC) to Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Jean Arnault, with copies to the Group of Friends, outlining Russian violations of various CIS agreements resulting from Russian reinforcement of its peacekeepers in late April. Iakobashvili called on the United Nations Observer Mission to Georgia (UNOMIG) to provide the Georgian government with an accurate count of the number of Russian military personnel and equipment recently added to the CIS PKF contingent and to report these Russian violations to the UN in New York. End Summary. ¶2. Begin text: State Minister of Georgia on Reintegration No. 4-6/184 May 2, 2008 Mr. Jean Arnault UN Secretary General Special Representative in Georgia Mr. Jean Arnault: As you are aware representatives of the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces deployed in the conflict zone April 30 have augmented since April military equipment and personnel on Georgian territory. At the same time, we would like to notify you that the Georgian side was informed of the intention to augment military equipment and personnel by former CIS PKF Commander ¶S. Chaban (reg. no. 576, April 29, 2008),whose mandate was not confirmed since 2006. However, even in this letter was not indicated specifically when and what kind of military equipment and personnel was to be brought to the Georgian territory. It should be noted that the former CIS CPF Commander having no mandate was announced persona non grata in Georgia, which reaffirms unlawfulness of measures taken by S. Chaban on Georgian territory. We believe that in the light of Russia's unilateral initiatives in Abkhazia undesirable for Georgia, the concentration of Russia's augmented military equipment and personnel in the conflict zone is unacceptable. Besides that, from April 30 of this year the deployment of augmented CIS CPF military equipment and personnel violated the provisions of the following documents: ¶1. Article 9 of CIS CPF Mandate of May 26, 1995: CIS CPF leadership's "interaction with recipient state bodies". ¶2. Article 4 of Protocol "On the Status of Military Observers and CIS CPF" of May 15, 1992: "...large-scale redeployment of personnel, material and transportation means through airports, railways and roads is carried out in coordination with the recipient state government...". Georgia did not sign this protocol, but this is not an excuse for CIS CPF to avoid the performance of duties. ¶3. Article 12, Part 2, of Protocol "On the Status of Military Observers and CIS CPF" of May 15, 1992: "...in accordance with this protocol the commander shall cooperate with the recipient state government and within the limits of his competence offer comprehensive assistance to protect the recipient state financial and customs rules on the part of group personnel". ¶4. Article 26 of Regulation of January 19, 1996: "...abide by the recipient state laws". ¶5. Article 26 of Regulation of January 19, 1996: "...transparency (openness of activities)". ¶6. Chapter 1, Article 2 of "Instructions on Developing and Carrying Out Peacekeeping Operations in the CIS Countries" of October 3, 1997: "Openness of actions and intentions when conducting CIS peacekeeping operations...". ¶7. Chapter 1, Article 2 of "Instructions on Developing and Carrying Out Peacekeeping Operations in the CIS Countries" of October 3, 1997: "Recognize the authority of local government which obliges CIS CPF personnel to respect recipient state habits and laws". TBILISI 00000803 002 OF 002 ¶8. Chapter 1, Article 24 of "Instructions on Developing and Carrying Out Peacekeeping Operations in the CIS Countries" of October 3, 1997: "Interaction with recipient state leadership". ¶9. Chapter 1, Article 26 of "Instructions on Developing and Carrying Out Peacekeeping Operations in the CIS Countries" of October 3, 1997: (the rules of interaction with the recipient state leadership). Taking into account the above mentioned, we ask you to notify us in the shortest period of time, through the interaction with the CIS CPF, the number of Russian military personnel and equipment augmented in the conflict zone and specific territory they were located on. Besides that, please take relevant measures to prevent CIS CPF unauthorized redeployment and unlawful posts activities. Please notify the UN Headquarters in New York about the unlawful activities of the CIS CPF in Abkhazia, Georgia. Temur Iakobashvili State Minister Copies to: Ambassador of the U.S. in Georgia Mr. John Tefft Ambassador of the U.K. in Georgia Mr. Dennis Keefe Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Georgia Ms. Patricia Flor Ambassador of France in Georgia Mr. Eric Fournier Ambassador of Russia in Georgia Mr. Vyacheslav Kovalenko End text. TEFFT