Georgia: Visit of Senate Foreign Relations Staff

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001742

SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG
SUBJECT: Georgia: Visit of Senate Foreign Relations Staff
Delegation Feldstein/Bruder/Guthrie August 27-29, 2009


1. (U) Summary: Staff members of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee (SFRC) Steven Feldstein, Jason Bruder, and Dillon Guthrie,
visited Georgia from August 27 to August 30 and met with a variety
of government, civil society, development and international
representatives. Themes discussed included the post-conflict
security and humanitarian situation, the political situation
following the spring protests, progress and status of assistance
programs, and civil society development. The visit also included a
meeting with the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox church, who
stressed that Russia cannot be allowed to act contrary to
international law. End Summary.


MINISTRY OF DEFENSE REFORMS


2. (U) The delegation spoke with both Defense Minister Sikharulidze
and Deputy Minister of Defense Muchaidze in separate meetings (Note:
Sikharulidze was replaced as Minister later that same day, August

27. Muchaidze has departed the Ministry as well). End note).
Sikharulidze discussed the current state of the Georgian military,
expressed distress that the Russians continue to act in violation of
the August ceasefire agreement, and said he is pleased that the
training of Georgian troops by U.S. Marines has begun. The
Minister and Deputy Minister stressed familiar themes such as the
need for a well-trained and equipped force, and the importance of
the EUMM and Georgian efforts to cooperate closely with them.
Sikharulidze also repeated that he is grateful for President Obama's
message that the Russian-U.S. "reset" will not come at Georgia's
expense.

DEPUTY FM BOKERIA, AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. KUTELIA, AND MP KANDELAKI



3. (U) In a lunch meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria,
Georgian Ambassador to the U.S. Kutelia, and Giorgi Kandelaki,
United National Movement (UNM) party member and a member of the
Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Bokeria asserted that an
international peacekeeping force is necessary on the ground in the
breakaway territories. He opined that if there was an international
peacekeeping force in place, a partial return of IDPs would be
possible. Bokeria said that the EUMM was an effective group, and
suggested that EUMM monitors should be the ones to monitor within
the breakaway regions. Bokeria stressed the importance of Georgia's
NATO membership, stating that the United States "needs to clarify
what is possible" regarding Georgia's potential membership.

OPPOSITION MEETINGS


4. (U) The delegation met with George Rukhadze and Nikoloz
Laliashvili of the Christian Democratic Movement (CDM) to discuss
the current political situation from their perspective. Later the
delegation met with a group of non-parliamentary opposition members,
which included:

Labor Party - Nestan Kirtzadze
Democratic Movement - United Georgia - David Chezhia
National Forum - Kakhaber Shartava
Conservative Party - Kakhaber Kukava
The Way of Georgia - Otar Chitanava
Aleksi Petriashvili - Alliance for Georgia

Members of the staff delegation discussed several issues with the
non-parliamentary opposition representatives including possible
future participation in parliament itself. Members of the
non-parliamentary opposition expressed their view that formal
participation in parliament is not possible due to what they called
the current "unfairness" of the system. To that end Shartava made
the statement that, "We are scared of unfairness. If a system is
democratic the people should not be scared." The staff delegation
emphasized to the non-parliamentary opposition the importance of
participation within the democratic framework, on the local level at
Qparticipation within the democratic framework, on the local level at
the very least. Members of the non-parliamentary opposition
expressed their concern over what they called politically motivated
retaliatory acts conducted by government authorities against them,
including the arrest of party members under false charges and the
beating of party members during the spring protests.

MEETINGS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY, EUMM, USAID SITE VISITS


5. (U) The DCM hosted a civil society dinner with the following
attendees:

Luis Navarro National Democratic Institute
Bob Fielding, Solidarity Center
Tamuna Karosanidze, Chair, Board of Directors, Transparency
International
George Chkiadze, Deputy Public Defender of Georgia, Office of Public
Defender (Ombudsman)
Ramaz Aptisauri, Founding Director, UN Association of Georgia
Keti Vashakidze Eurasia Foundation
Gia Nodia, Director, Caucasus Studies School

At the dinner the conversation covered a variety of topics including

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freedom of the press, disclosure of ownership of media outlets, and
the current political and socio-economic situation. The group also
met separately with Bob Fielding of the Solidarity Center, who is on
a two-year USAID funded grant to train labor leaders on union
organizing. Fielding offered a hopeful but reserved assessment of
the current state of labor unions in Georgia, noting the successes
of transport unions organizing around the recent proposed changes to
the transport system in Kutaisi.


6. (U) At the EUMM, the Staff Delegation met with Jean-Patrick
Boudier, Head of the EUMM Gori Field Office. Mr. Boudier gave a
presentation on the staffing and work of EUMM throughout Georgia,
and mentioned that the Gori Field Office will be relocating soon.
The rest of the morning was spent visiting a number of USAID-funded
development projects including the Gori Farm Service Center, the
Berbuki internally displaced persons settlement where USAID has
helped fund small business development, the Kheltubani orchards and
corn fields, where USAID provided substantial assistance with
fertilizers and seeds last fall and winter, and a visit to a school
in Kheltubani that is about to be renovated with a USAID grant. The
afternoon was then spent meeting with representatives of the
Millenium Challenge Corporation and their partners from Millenium
Challenge Georgia and Georgian Oil and Gas. A dinner with USG
sponsored exchange alumni followed, including Open World, Humphrey,
and Muskie program alumni that included:

Sophie Gorgodze, Head of Teachers' Professional Development Center,
Ministry of Education and Science, Open World alumna
Irakli Kotetishvili, Director of the Public Service Bureau, Open
World alumnus
Kakha Karchkhadze, Head of Innovations Department, Ilia Chavchavadze
University, Humphrey alumnus
Beka Aladashvili, Ministry of Defense, International Visitor
Leadership program alumnus
Tamar Janashia, Muskie program alumna

Participants discussed their experiences in the U.S. and how it
affected their careers in Georgia after.

PATRIARCH CALLS FOR RUSSIAN COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL NORMS


7. (U) The day ended with a visit to the Patriarch of the Georgian
Orthodox Church, Ilia II, who stressed that Russia must be held to
the standards of international law, and that the status quo in
Georgia with Russia occupying some of its territory cannot stand.


8. (U) Staff delegation members Jason Bruder and Dillon Guthrie
cleared this cable.

LOGSDON