GEORGIA TO SUBMIT AN OFFICIAL NO VOTE FOR KOSOVO'S

UNCLAS TBILISI 001001 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN KV PREL SUBJECT: GEORGIA TO SUBMIT AN OFFICIAL NO VOTE FOR KOSOVO'S WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP REF: A. A. SECSTATE 54944 ¶B. B. BENNETT-OLSON E-MAIL ¶1. (SBU) In response to the request contained ref A and Department concerns that a quorum will not be reached in the vote for Kosovo membership in the World Bank (WB),Post asked the Georgian Government to submit an official vote. Initially the GoG said it would abstain in the votes for Kosovo membership in both the WTO and WB in order to support U.S. efforts, but would not submit an official ballot. In response to quorum concerns and at our behest, the GoG submitted a ballot in the vote for the WTO, but felt it had to vote "no" given its own political concerns regarding the separatist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In response to post's request, MFA Legal Director Irakli Giviashvili informed post on June 1 that the GoG would submit an official ballot, but would also again be forced to vote "no" for Kosovo's membership in the WB in order to maintain consistency. TEFFT