OSCE JOINT FSC/PC MEETING: RESPONSE TO GENEVA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 062408

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: OSCE JOINT FSC/PC MEETING: RESPONSE TO GENEVA
CO-CHAIRS AND EUMM HEAD HABER


1. Post is authorized to present the following statement at
the June 17, 2009, joint FSC/PC meeting in Vienna:

Begin text:

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

It is a pleasure to welcome our distinguished guests to
today's meeting. The United States greatly appreciates the
leadership of Ambassadors Morel, Verbeke, and Christopoulos
in coordinating the Geneva discussions, and commends their
tireless efforts to ensure constructive talks. We also
appreciate Ambassador Haber's leadership of the EU Monitoring
Mission in Georgia, and commend the Mission's valuable
engagement on the ground.

The United States firmly believes that the Geneva discussions
are critical to enhancing security, respect for human rights,
and stability in Georgia. We believe the European Union, the
UN, and the OSCE together possess the expertise needed to
tackle the challenges inherent in the process, and look
forward to continued fruitful cooperation among the three
organizations.

We hope the July 1 discussions in Geneva will yield concrete
results, and urge all parties to demonstrate a constructive
and creative approach. In advance of next month's talks, we
again urge the good-faith implementation of the incident
prevention and response mechanisms agreed in February, and
call on all parties to allow for joint visits, together with
international monitors, to the sites of incidents. We are
convinced the OSCE should continue to participate in the
Geneva Process, despite Russia having opposed the compromise
proposed by Greece that would have prevented the OSCE Mission
to Georgia from closing down.

Similarly, we deeply regret that on June 15, Russia vetoed a
UN Security Council resolution that would have extended the
current mandate of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia
(UNOMIG) by two weeks to allow for negotiations on a
substantive mandate to continue. Russia objected to a
reference to UN Security Council Resolution 1808, which
includes an explicit statement of Council support for
Georgia's territorial integrity. Russia voted in favor of
1808, and even subsequent to its August 2008 recognition of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia voted for two other UN
resolutions invoking Georgia's territorial integrity.

The entire international security architecture in Georgia,
built up over many years to promote human rights and create
conditions for the safe, voluntary return of internally
displaced persons and refugees, is being undermined over one
participating state's insistence that the Georgian regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia be recognized by the international
community as independent countries.

Despite these setbacks, we will continue to urge free and
unhindered humanitarian access to the Abkhazia and South
Ossetian regions of Georgia (as agreed in UNSCR 1866 last
February and the August 12 cease fire agreement),the full
respect for human rights of all individuals in the conflict
areas, and the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of
internally displaced persons.

The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia is a crucial stabilizing
factor, and plays a key role in the implementation of the
incident prevention and response mechanisms. It also is
critical to the international community's efforts to monitor
compliance with the August 12 cease-fire agreement and the
subsequent implementing measures of September 8.
Unfortunately, these efforts cannot be fully effective as
long as Russia denies international observers access to the
South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia.

Accordingly, we repeat our call for Russia to honor the
commitments it made in the August 12 and September 8
agreements, which call for Russia not only to provide free
and unhindered humanitarian access to the South Ossetian and
Abkhaz regions, but also to withdraw its troops to positions
and numbers held prior to the start of hostilities. We
remind Russia of its responsibility to ensure respect for
human rights and international humanitarian law in those
areas of Georgia under Russian occupation.

We note once more that many Russian actions in Georgia, such
as its establishment of military bases in the breakaway
regions and its deployment of FSB border guards to the

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administrative boundary lines, have undermined rather than
enhanced stability in the region. The same holds true for
Russia's decision to reject the Greek Chairmanship's
status-neutral proposal for a continued OSCE presence in
Georgia, and to force the departure of the OSCE Mission to
Georgia and its valuable military monitoring officers.

Madam Chairwoman, we have said before that if we cannot
effectively address and resolve issues like these, it is
unlikely we will make any genuine headway on a Europe that is
more secure and at peace. Progress would help restore trust
and confidence and facilitate any discussion of European
security -- and would be most welcome as we approach the
informal ministerial meeting in Corfu.

In closing, the United States again thanks the ambassadors
here today, and commends their extraordinary work. We remain
committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflicts
in Georgia, and will continue to support Georgia's
sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within
its internationally recognized borders.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
CLINTON