C O N F I D E N T I A L ZAGREB 000672

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2018
TAGS: PREL UNSC HR GG
SUBJECT: GOC WILL SUPPORT "LIKE-MINDED" IN OPPOSITION TO
UNSC APPEARANCES BY SOUTH OSSETIANS AND ABKHAZIS

REF: STATE 100791

Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, PolEcon Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (b)
& (d).

(C) POLCOUNS delivered REF A points on September 23 to
Ambassador Vlatko Matek, Special Advisor to the Foreign
Minister and Coordinator for UNSC Affairs. Matek said that
the GoC, per its usual practice would support the position of
the US and EU member states, and understood the bad precedent
that would be set by allowing South Ossetian or Abkhaz
officials to attend a UNSC session, whether Arria-style or
not. Matek said that even if there were differences among
some of the EU members of the UNSC, it was still clear where
"the majority of our partners" stood. Matek noted that the
Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other high officials
were currently in New York for the UNGA. He said he would
pass the message to the delegation, but that if the US wanted
to deliver any message about Georgia and the UNSC at a higher
level, then they could do so on the margins of UNGA events.
Bradtke