GEORGIA: AMBASSADOR FRIED MEETS WITH GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001525 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV RR GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: AMBASSADOR FRIED MEETS WITH GOVERNMENT LEADERS, DISCUSSES RUSSIA-GEORGIA SITUATION Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Kent D. Logsdon for Reasons 1.4 (b) an d (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During his visit to Tbilisi on August 5 and 6, Special Envoy for Guantanamo Bay Ambassador Daniel Fried met with a range of senior Georgian officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Grigol Vashadze, Secretary of the National Security Council Eka Tkeshelashvili, Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili, and Minister of Defense David Sikharulidze. During these meetings, much of the discussion revolved around the ongoing tension in the South Caucasus on the eve of the anniversary of the August 2008 war with Russia, and Georgian assurances that they would not be the cause of any renewed fighting. Vashadze stressed that the Georgian government was lying "lower than grass," and Tkeshelashvili noted her belief that events were moving in a positive direction following a tense weekend. Sikharulidze commented that though the situation remains tense, he did not think the Russians were positioned in an offensive military posture. He further said that the alert status the Russian military had engaged in the entire North Caucasus region was rather to keep Georgia nervous. He expressed concern that the Russians have started to work on military infrastructure in the disputed territories. End Summary. LYING LOWER THAN GRASS ¶2. (C) During his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Grigol Vashadze, Ambassador Fried stressed the significance of the high level engagement in the current tension by senior policymakers in Washington, citing phone calls from both the President to the Russian President and from the Vice President to the Georgian President. Ambassador Fried urged continued Georgian strategic patience in solving its separatist problems and urged Georgia not to fall into any traps laid by the separatists or Russians during this tense period. Vashadze expressed his appreciation for the support of Georgia from Washington, and noted the more positive strategic position currently enjoyed by Tbilisi in comparison to Moscow as it tried to handle the separatist areas. Describing Russia's positions towards South Ossetia and Abkhazia as attempting to carry "two suitcases without handles," Vashadze said that the economic and political situation in Russia was continuing to worsen, and the difficult positioning left by the tactical success of the August 2008 war was increasingly realized by the Russians. He was convinced that Russia did not want a new war, and would not push it much further in the near term. He noted that President Obama's call to Medvedev had been salutary for the Russians, who may have hoped to be able to pressure Georgia "in the dark" without U.S. reaction. RUSSIAN DIFFICULTIES ¶3. (C) Vashadze emphasized his belief that the Russians had significant concerns about the status of their economy, with unemployment increasing and inflation running at 15 percent, while the Georgian economy was relatively stable and certainly better than that of any of the CIS countries. He noted that everywhere the Russians went, they were forced to talk about the Georgia issue, and they had no coherent or realistic policy towards Georgia other than to keep the Georgian government off balance and scare away foreign direct investment. He believed that the war had resulted in strategic losses for Russia, including cutting off Armenia and increasing the desire of the west to continue expanding pipelines and resource infrastructure in Georgia so as to bypass Russia. Vashadze also speculated that the Russians Qbypass Russia. Vashadze also speculated that the Russians had interest in causing tension and provoking incidents in Georgia during the anniversary of the August 2008 war based on a strong desire to talk specifically about the causes of last year's war. Vashadze stated that according to a friend he recently visited in Europe, Russians were redeploying OMON units from their home regions to other areas because of a growing concern that they would not follow orders to subdue unruly crowds if those crowds were friends and family from the same towns and neighborhoods. GEORGIAN NSC DIRECTOR FOCUSED BUT CONFIDENT ¶4. (C) In a lunch meeting with Secretary of the National Security Council Eka Tkeshelashvili, Ambassador Fried reiterated points that the Georgian government must be calm, calculating, and patient as it sought to win the strategic dialogue with the Russians about the future of the separatist zones. Tkeshelashvili was confident in the Georgian government's ability to weather this most recent storm and survive relatively unscathed, and believed that thus far events were moving in a positive direction. She stressed that the most disturbing thing for the Russian government was that the Saakashvili government did not fall either during or TBILISI 00001525 002 OF 002 after the war in August 2008, and instead managed to survive in a "decent way." She was confident that the prospects for the future, both politically and economically, were quite good, and relations with Europeans also continued to improve. In assessing Moscow, she stated that while there was a willingness to do something militarily in Georgia, pragmatism and a sense that significant action would be immediately denounced internationally was restraining them. Events over the weekend were concerning, particularly what she viewed as a media campaign ("probing the ground" as she called it) to gauge the willingness of the international community to engage. Since the strong response from the Americans and a weaker, but still important, EU statement, the risk of war had been significantly reduced. ECONOMY FRAGILE BUT STABLE ¶5. (C) She believed that a proposed free trade agreement with the EU was moving forward, in spite of some significant negotiating hurdles necessary to clear before any final agreement. While this would be a boon to the Georgian economy, there remained a sense of fragility that continues to impede the economy and overall interest of foreign investors to stake long term claims in Georgia. While investment flows obviously dropped significantly following the war in August 2008, the naturally conservative Georgian banking sector managed to survive certainly better than its counterparts in Russia and even parts of the west. She noted that Georgia only receives 10 percent of its gas from Russia, and events in2006 taught the government the importance of diversification. DEFENSE MINISTER CALM; DOESN'T RULE OUT FUTURE AGGRESSION ¶6. (C) In his meeting with Defense Minister David Sikharulidze, Ambassador Fried mentioned and expressed agreement with the point made by NSC Secretary Eka Tkeshelashvili that the Russians were testing the Georgians psychologically. He emphasized the need for Georgian restraint, and stressed that Georgia needs to make the story about the Russians being provocative, rather than the Georgians being unstable. The Minister reiterated the need for proper, targeted responses to recent Russian press outlets accusing Georgia of shelling South Ossetia, including the EUMM statement on August 1 denying that they had seen evidence to confirm any firing had taken place toward Tskhinvali. The Minister expressed concern that Russia has started to work on military infrastructure in the disputed territories. Though Sikharulidze noted that the Russian military had declared an alert status for the entire Northern Caucasus region, including air units, he perceived the move as an effort to keep Georgianervous rather than pre paration for aggressive action. TROOP READINESS, EUMM and NATO ¶7. (C) Minister Sikharulidze discussed Georgian troop readiness, stating that the normal 30 percent of the Georgian military is in barracks at this time and they are following their regular training cycles. He also mentioned that all air equipment that Georgia currently has is operable, and that they are working on special anti-armor and anti-tank units. He said that the Georgian MOD's main priority is education and that the ministry recently announced a tender on the rebuilding of a defense academy. The Minister further stated that the Georgian Joint Staff is continually working on contingency and operation plans, and that they have asked for U.S. assistance. Sikharulidze raised the upcoming anti-insurgency training of Georgian infantry by the Qupcoming anti-insurgency training of Georgian infantry by the Marines, with Sikharulidze expressing appreciation for the assistance. Sikharulidze described relations with EUMM, stating that Georgia gives EUMM access to Georgian military bases, invites EUMM to all military exercises and works to develop good relations between Georgian military commanders and EUMM officers. On NATO membership, Sikharulidze mentioned that, by keeping the situation on the ground tense andtrying to prevent investment in Georgia, Russia's ultimate goal is to encourage Europeans not to take Georgia's prospect for NATO membership seriously. Sikharulidze stated that Georgia places great importance on continuing to work on technical issues which will lead to NATO membership. Ambassador Fried, agreeing that working on technical military development for NATO is positive, encouraged the Minister to focus on economic development and security. Fried further agreed that the EUMM has proven its value. However, he noted many hurdles to U.S. involvement, including an EU willingness to enlarge the mission. ¶8. (U) Ambassador Fried has cleared on this cable. LOGSDON