AUSTRIAN FM DISCUSSES GEORGIA IN MOSCOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001346

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL RU GG AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN FM DISCUSSES GEORGIA IN MOSCOW

Classified by: Economic-Political Counselor J. Dean Yap for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary: The Georgia crisis dominated FM Plassnik's
September 8-9 official visit to Moscow. Plassnik emphasized
to Russian FM Lavrov that the GOA and EU view the mediation
process as a step toward the goal of restoring Georgia's
sovereignty and territorial integrity, and would continue to
object to Russia's decision to recognize South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. Lavrov said he welcomed the EU's mediation efforts
and averred that Russia would withdraw forces once EU
observers were in place. He said Russia would maintain
enough forces in South Ossetia/Abkhazia "to deter further
Georgian aggression." End Summary.


2. (U) Franz-Josef Kuglitsch, MFA director for the South
Caucasus and Southeast Europe, told us September 11 that
Plassnik's official visit, scheduled in May, was originally
intended to provide the FM with her first opportunity to
discuss bilateral issues with her Russian counterpart since
the establishment of the new Russian government. In the
event, the Georgia crisis dominated her three-hour meeting
with Lavrov. The atmosphere was cordial, but both sides
stuck to their conflicting positions on Georgia, Kuglitsch
said.


3. (C) According to Kuglitsch, Lavrov praised the EU and the
French for their mediation efforts following the conflict in
Georgia. He said Russia welcomed the EU decision to send 200
observers to Georgia. Russia would withdraw forces once the
EU observers were in place. Plassnik replied that the EU was
committed to sending observers as part of its mediation
efforts, emphasizing that EU member states would determine
the parameters of the observer mission (Note: According to
Kuglitsch, this was meant as a rebuttal to Russian arguments
that the observers should be placed under an OSCE umbrella.
End Note).


4. (C) Lavrov asserted that Russia would maintain a troop
presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in order to "deter
further Georgian aggression." He said Russia would consult
with the governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to
determine the required number of troops. (Note: Shortly
after the meeting, Russia announced that it would maintain
3,800 troops in each of the two provinces. End Note).
Lavrov said he was open to the idea of a continued UN and
OSCE presence in Georgia, but he did not clarify whether
Russia would allow UN/OSCE access to South Ossetia and
Abkhazia, Kuglitsch said.


5. (U) Plassnik averred that the GOA, as well as the EU,
viewed the observer mission and the mediation process as
steps toward the ultimate goal of restoring Georgia's
sovereignty and territorial integrity. She emphasized that
there remained fundamental differences between the EU and
Russia concerning the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.


6. (C) Lavrov maintained that Russia was not opposed to an
international investigation of the events surrounding the
Georgia conflict, as long as the investigation were
"objective." He said humanitarian aid could be delivered
from Georgia proper, as long as prior approval was obtained
from Moscow. Plassnik insisted that the borders between
Georgia proper and South Ossetia/Abkhazia must be open.


7. (U) Before returning to Vienna September 9, Plassnik
attended a ceremony in a Moscow cemetery involving the
unveiling of a memorial for 104 Austrian victims of the
Stalin regime in the 1950s.
GIRARD-DICARLO