OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN

UNCLAS STATE 057312

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE/PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER KARASIN


1. (U) Post is authorized to present the following statement
at the June 4 Permanent Council meeting in Vienna.

Begin text:

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

We welcome Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin to today's
meeting. We thank him for the broad overview he has provided
us on Russia's perspective and policy toward the South
Caucasus.

Clearly, the United States and Russia have markedly different
views on the situation in Georgia. We stand with most
countries in condemning Russia's recognition of the
"independence" of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia, and strongly support the sovereignty, independence,
and territorial integrity of Georgia within its
internationally recognized borders. We remain committed to
long-term conflict resolution, and seek to advance the
establishment of peace throughout Georgia.

Accordingly, we strongly support the Geneva discussions, and
hope the July 1 meeting will yield concrete results on
outstanding security, humanitarian matters, and human rights
issues. We urge all parties to quickly implement the
incident prevention and response mechanisms agreed in
February, and we repeat our call for joint visits, together
with international monitors, to the sites of incidents. We
note that the South Ossetian mechanism held its second
meeting May 29, and hope all parties will build on the
progress made there.

We also hope progress can be made on pressing humanitarian
and human rights issues, particularly the urgent problem of
achieving free and unhindered humanitarian access to the
South Ossetian region. Russia committed to such access under
the August 12 cease-fire agreement and UNSCR 1866. We also
hope to see progress on ensuring the voluntary, safe, and
dignified return of internally displaced persons, as well the
ability to address and protect against human rights abuses.

The United States considers a continued OSCE presence in
Georgia critical to efforts to restore stability to the
region, resolve humanitarian concerns, strengthen respect for
human rights, and promote the implementation of OSCE
commitments. We continue to support the Greek Chairmanship's
status-neutral proposal for an OSCE presence in Georgia, and
note that it enjoys the support of the overwhelming majority
of OSCE participating States. We regret that Russia has made
it impossible to achieve consensus on a Georgia Mission
mandate.

Progress on the issues cited above would help restore trust
and confidence to the region. Progress would also
demonstrate a good-faith effort to take tangible steps to
advance our common European security concerns.
Unfortunately, many Russian actions in Georgia, such as its
establishment of military bases in the breakaway regions, or
its deployment of FSB border guards to the administrative
boundary lines, have had quite the opposite effect. The same
holds true for allowing Russian companies to explore for oil
and gas in Georgian waters, and promoting illegitimate
elections in South Ossetia.

We again call on Russia to honor the commitments it made in
the August 12 cease-fire agreement and September 8
implementing measures, particularly point five of the
cease-fire agreement, which calls for Russia to withdraw its
troops to positions held prior to the start of hostilities.
We also strongly urge Russia to fulfill point three of the
cease-fire agreement, which calls for providing free and
unhindered humanitarian access to the South Ossetian and
Abkhaz regions of Georgia. We remind Russia that it has a
responsibility to ensure respect for human rights is upheld
and international humanitarian law is observed in those areas
of Georgia that are under occupation.

We thank you for speaking to us today, Deputy Foreign
Minister Karasin, and sincerely hope we will be able to make
progress on a Europe that is more secure and at peace.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

End text.
CLINTON