OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO EU SPECIAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 054048 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE GG SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTH CAUCASUS PETER SEMNEBY ¶1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at the May 28, 2009, Permanent Council meeting in Vienna: Begin text: Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. It is a pleasure to welcome you to today's meeting, Ambassador Semneby. We appreciate your valuable work in the South Caucasus, and thank you for your informative report today. Ambassador Semneby, the United States supports your continued efforts to assist the countries of the South Caucasus in furthering democratization, rule of law, respect for human rights, and conflict resolution. We are hopeful that Armenia and Azerbaijan can achieve a breakthrough on the Basic Principles by the end of this year. This process, along with Turkey-Armenia normalization, are separate efforts that are moving forward in parallel but at different speeds. Each one can reinforce the other and contribute to a general climate of reconciliation in the South Caucasus. The United States also appreciates your efforts to help end the current stalemate in Georgia by urging the government and the opposition to begin negotiations immediately and without preconditions on a new program of reforms. We joined the European Union earlier this week in calling on all Georgians to respect the rule of law, abide by Georgia's Constitution, avoid violence, and honor the right of peaceful protest. We pledged our full support for all such efforts aimed at strengthening Georgia's democratic freedom and prosperity, and reiterated our unyielding support for Georgia's independence and territorial integrity. We hoped the May 18-19 Geneva discussions on security and stability arrangements in the South Ossetian and Abkhaz regions of Georgia would yield concrete results. Regrettably, Russia followed the South Ossetian separatists in walking out of the Geneva discussions on May 18, and the Abkhaz boycotted the talks at the start. While the talks resumed the next day, we hoped for more progress on resolving the urgent problem of achieving free and unhindered humanitarian access to the South Ossetian region, to which Russia committed under the 12 August cease fire agreement and UNSCR 1866. We also hope the representatives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia will indeed implement the incident prevention and response mechanisms agreed in February. We hope the Russian delegation and the South Ossetian and Abkhaz participants will demonstrate a more constructive attitude when they meet in Geneva on July 1 for the next round of discussions. In the meantime, we urge the good-faith implementation of the incident prevention and response mechanisms, and call on all parties to allow for joint visits, together with international monitors, to the sites of incidents. We also hope progress can be made on pressing humanitarian questions, including unhindered humanitarian access, as well as the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of internally displaced persons. For these reasons the United States also regrets that Russia made it impossible to achieve consensus on the Greek chairmanship's status-neutral proposal for the mandate of an OSCE presence in Georgia, a proposal supported by the overwhelming majority of OSCE participating States. As you know, Ambassador Semneby, access to the South Ossetian and Abkhaz regions of Georgia remains critical. International monitors can help deter violence, ensure the safety and protection of civilians, and promote human rights. We repeat our call for Russia to honor the commitments it made in the August 12 and September 8 cease fire agreements, including withdrawal of its troops to the locations and numbers that ensued before last August's war and to "free" or "unhindered" humanitarian access to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia has a responsibility to ensure respect for human rights is upheld and international humanitarian law is observed in those areas of Georgia it controls. Ambassador Semneby, we all know how difficult these issues can be -- but if we cannot effectively address and resolve them, it is unlikely we will make any genuine headway on a Europe that is more secure and at peace. Progress on these issues would help restore trust and confidence and facilitate any discussion of European security. STATE 00054048 002 OF 002 Ambassador Semneby, thank you again for speaking to us today. We wish you all the best in your work. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. CLINTON