GEORGIAN PERMREP ALASANIA DISCUSSES GENEVA MEETING

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000136

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIAN PERMREP ALASANIA DISCUSSES GENEVA MEETING
AND ALSO KOSOVO


1. (SBU) Summary: Georgian Permrep Alasania told Ambassador
Wolff on February 11 that he looks forward to the Friends of
Georgia meeting as an opportunity to launch a UN-led review
of the Abkhazia peace process. Alasania hoped to avoid
giving Russia any pretext for harmful actions. Ambassador
Wolff warned that Russia's preoccupation with Kosovo might
make it difficult to make progress in Geneva. Wolff advised
Alasania the issue of Abkhaz participation in a Security
Council session in New York might lead to a procedural vote
and agreed with Alasania that a GUAM resolution focused on
Kosovo would be easier for us to support than a more general
one. End Summary.

Alasania's Hopes For Geneva
--------------

2. (SBU) Georgian Permrep Alasania told Ambassador Wolff in a
February 11 meeting that he looks forward to the February
18-19 Geneva meeting of the Friends of the Secretary-General
for Georgia as an opportunity to get serious in implementing
confidence building measures, including moving forward on a
declaration of non-use of force and return of IDPs and
re-engaging with the Abkhaz side. He said he wants to
discuss the UN-led review of the Abkhazia peace process and
get the Abkhaz fully on board. Alasania hopes to use the
Friends' meeting to rebut criticism in the latest UNOMIG
report of supposed alarmist rhetoric in Georgia's media
concerning Abkhaz provocations. He said he aims for the
Friends' meeting to produce an acknowledgment that Georgia's
security presence in the Upper Kodori Valley is at an
acceptable level, as he said is stated in the latest UNOMIG
report.

Kosovo/Abkhazia Link
--------------

3. (SBU) When asked by Ambassador Wolff for his views on
Russian-created linkages between Kosovo and Abkhazia,
Alasania said he did not think the Abkhaz would be foolish
enough to overtly use Kosovo for their own independence
aspirations, but believes Russia has not decided yet how much
support to offer Abkhazia. He argued President Saakashvili's
re-election gives him a new, five-year mandate for dealing
with Abkhazia. Ambassador Wolff asked for Alasania's
assessment of his interactions with Russia at the UN.
Alasania said that he had met recently with Permrep Churkin,
who wants to keep any disagreements between Georgia and
Russia out of the public eye. Alasania expressed cautious
hope that the meeting of Presidents Putin and Saakashvili
later this month will go well. Alasania did not see
prospects yet for significantly improving bilateral
relations, but at least did not want "to give Russia any
pretext for harmful actions."


4. (SBU) Ambassador Wolff warned that Russia's objective
regarding Kosovo is to keep countries from recognizing it, so
they might use Abkhazia as a tool for this purpose.
Ambassador Wolff underscored that because of this larger
Russian objective, it might be difficult to make progress in
Geneva.

Abkhaz UNSC Session and GUAM Resolution
--------------

5. (SBU) Alasania said Georgia strongly opposes Abkhaz
participation in a Security Council session in New York.
Ambassador Wolff warned that opposing Abkhaz participation
could lead to a fight for votes on a procedural issue, so we
will need to be ready. Alasania noted that he would join
fellow permreps of the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbajan and
Moldova) soon for a meeting with Ambassador Wolff to ask for
US support of a resolution on protracted conflicts. Alasania
said A/S Fried had suggested to him recently that it would be
easier for the US to support a resolution specifically
focused on Kosovo's sui generis nature. Ambassador Wolff
agreed that such a resolution would be easier to support.

WOLFF