GERMANY HESITANT ABOUT U.S. ROLE IN EUMM

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 000869

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2019
TAGS: MOPS OSCE PHUM PREL UN GG RS GM EU
SUBJECT: GERMANY HESITANT ABOUT U.S. ROLE IN EUMM

REF: A. JGIAUQUE EMAIL DATED JULY 16 2009

B. BERLIN 838

Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR STAN OTTO FOR REASON
S 1.4 (c) AND (d).


1. (C) Poloff followed-up with MFA Deputy Head of Division
for the South Caucasus and Central Asia Maria Gosse regarding
possible U.S. participation in the EUMM (ref a). Although
Germany wishes to keep the U.S. "engaged in Georgia," the MFA
is hesitant to accept U.S. involvement in the mission.
Currently, Berlin views a U.S. role as "possible but not
likely," but has not reached a final decision. The MFA is
looking at whether the EUMM really needs U.S. assistance and
what such assistance would mean politically.


2. (C) First, the MFA would like to see "concrete
suggestions" for what role the U.S. would play. Poloff
stressed that we are willing to consider a range of options
based on the requests of our European allies. The MFA plans
to consider feasible options, and the EU will discuss the
possibility of U.S. involvement next week. However, the EU
has not decided on whether the U.S. should be invited to join
the mission, and the MFA would like to know which states
approached us before the EU had reached a consensus.


3. (C) Second, the MFA finds it a "bit odd" that the U.S.
would join the EUMM because third party states normally join
when an observer mission lacks people. Hinting that EUMM
Head Haber does not support U.S. involvement, Gosse shared
that Haber "says he has enough people" and does not see what
role the U.S. therefore would play. The majority of the EUMM
observers already signed up for an extended tour in Georgia,
according to Head of Recruitment for the Center for
International Peace Observations Behrendt (ref b).


4. (C) Finally, the MFA is leery of the "political
implications" of U.S. involvement. Right now, Russia and the
two breakaway provinces approve of the EUMM, something the
other international missions lacked. The MFA shies away from
anything that would "risk" that support. Moreover, Berlin is
not convinced that U.S. involvement would help the mission
achieve its goals because Russia and the two breakaway
provinces likely would be suspicious of U.S. actions. Gosse
said that the MFA is considering whether U.S. participation
would hurt their trust in EUMM observers as honest brokers.


5. (C) COMMENT: Although Gosse stressed that Germany
recognizes a need to keep the U.S. involved in Georgia, her
portrayal of the MFA's hesitation and her eagerness to find
out which states jumped the gun by approaching us suggests
that Berlin is not keen on U.S. participation. END COMMENT.
Pollard