GEORGIA - ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON UNOMIG

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 059890 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2019 TAGS: UNSC PREL GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA - ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON UNOMIG RESOLUTION NEGOTIATIONS REF: A. A: STATE 56222 ¶B. B: USUN 580 Classified By: IO A/S Esther D. Brimmer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) This is an action request. In response to reftel B, the Department provides this additional guidance to USUN for use during negotiations on the resolution to renew the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). This instruction does not supersede the guidance previously provided in reftel A. Post should continue its close coordination with the Quad as negotiations progress and attempt to maintain unity. Close consultation with the Georgian Mission is also important in our efforts to secure host-country consent for a revised UN mandate. The Department reemphasizes that we are not willing to support a resolution that crosses our redlines in reftel A. ¶2. (C) USUN is authorized to support wholesale endorsement, without changes or qualifications in other parts of the resolution, of paragraphs 65 (security regime) and 66 (mandate) of the Secretary-General's most recent report of May 18, 2009 on the situation in Georgia. We will not support such endorsement with caveats, modifications or limitations of the endorsement by other language in the resolution. ¶3. (C) USUN is authorized to support a change in UNOMIG's name to the UN Monitoring Mission (our preferred option, though we will also support UN Stabilization Mission),but only if Russia makes a substantive concession such as: a direct reference to Georgian territorial integrity (versus an indirect reference to resolution 1808, which has been referenced in each of the last two resolutions and is common practice); an executive police force; language explicitly labeling Russia, Georgia, and the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as parties to the conflict; and/or language allowing for the Mission to expand to South Ossetia in the future. The Department will need to work with Tbilisi to ensure that the Georgians are willing to accept any such tradeoff. Thus, if Russia is prepared to make such a substantive concession, USUN should approach the Department for final approval. ¶4. (U) Please contact IO/UNP K.G. Moore, 202-647-0042, moorekg@state.gov for additional background, guidance or with questions. CLINTON