Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STATE40115
2009-04-22 15:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:  

OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON THE

Tags:  OSCE PREL PGOV GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHC #0115 1121559
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 221540Z APR 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 9700
INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS STATE 040115 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON THE
SITUATION IN GEORGIA

UNCLAS STATE 040115

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON THE
SITUATION IN GEORGIA


1. Post is authorized to present the following statement at
the April 23 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

Begin text:

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

The United States would like to call attention to the April
14 statement of the High Commissioner on National Minorities
in which he expresses serious concern about developments in
the Gali district of Abkhazia, Georgia. We agree fully that
limitations imposed on ethnic Georgians' rights by the de
facto authorities, including through compulsory
"passportization" and restrictions on their freedom of
movement, are unacceptable not only from a human rights
perspective, but have led in addition to a deterioration in
the security situation.

We exhort the de facto authorities to rescind these
limitations and fully respect the human rights of all people
in the region. We also call on Russia to ensure that respect
for human rights is upheld and that international
humanitarian law is observed in those areas of Georgia
controlled by Russian military forces.

In addition, we urge the participants to implement the
recommendations of the November 2008 ODIHR/HCNM human rights
assessment mission report, and call for an urgent follow-up
assessment to ascertain the current human rights conditions
in the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia.

Furthermore, we deplore the detention of two unarmed OSCE
military monitors on April 21 near Nikozi, south of the
administrative boundary line. We concur with the
Chairperson-in-Office that their detention by South Ossetian
authorities was "wholly unacceptable", and urge all forces in
the area to refrain from provocative acts.

The fragile security situation, including continued reports
of violence and human rights abuses in the zone of conflict,
underscores the need for free and unfettered access by
international monitors to the whole of Georgia, including
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It also illustrates the need for
a robust OSCE presence throughout Georgia. The departure of
the OSCE mission would remove an important mediating voice,
increasing the possibility of direct confrontation in a
still-tense atmosphere, and limit the ability of the
international community to build confidence and peacefully
resolve what remains a fragile security environment.

The United States believes the Chairmanship's April 8 draft
decision on an Office in Tbilisi and a monitoring operation
provides a good basis for agreement. The Chairmanship's
proposal is a useful compromise precisely because it
skillfully avoids the divisive issues of status and instead
focuses on practical arrangements that would allow the OSCE
to contribute positively toward conflict resolution efforts
in support of the Geneva process. We urge all delegations to
work with the Chairmanship in a spirit of good will and
collaboration to reach swift agreement on the basis of this
proposal, and would view any effort to reinsert contentious
issues that prejudge status disputes as unhelpful and not
aimed at a good-faith resolution.

We call upon all participants to take a constructive approach
at today,s meeting of the Geneva Process incident prevention
and response mechanism for the Georgian region of South
Ossetia. We hope this meeting, as well as the next round of
Geneva discussions on May 18 and 19, will contribute
positively to reducing tensions in the region and furthering
implementation of the August 12 six-point agreement. In
particular, we look forward to concrete progress being made
in Geneva on the urgent problem of humanitarian access to
South Ossetia from Gori.

The United States will continue to support Georgia's
sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity with its
internationally recognized borders, and will help in all ways
to find a peaceful resolution to this conflict.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
CLINTON