GEORGIA SEIZED WITH NON-PAPER ON NEW UN MANDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 000682 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2019 TAGS: PREL MOPS KBTS KPKO GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA SEIZED WITH NON-PAPER ON NEW UN MANDATE REF: A. STATE 32134 ¶B. TBILISI 670 Classified By: Amb. John F.for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On April 6, DCM delivered to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov the non-paper on a new UN mandate for Georgia contained in ref A. Although DCM explained that this did not represent a cleared USG interagency, Nalbandov expressed great appreciation for and interest in the document, proceeding to read it on the spot. DCM noted that the Department had not had a chance to develop a response to Georgia's own non-paper (ref B),and both sides agreed on the importance of staying in close contact as we consider each other thoughts. DCM and Nalbandov also agreed on the importance of responding to each other promptly, as UN Special Representative Verbeke would be drafting his own document over the next couple weeks, which will help inform the Secretary General's own report, due May 15. ¶2. (C) Within hours of our delivering the non-paper to the MFA, Deputy FM Giga Bokeria told the Ambassador that the Foreign Ministry was already reviewing the text and would provide detailed comments soon. He noted that he had already reviewed the draft text and wanted to ensure that the U.S. understood that the Georgian priority was that a new resolution or mandate would explicitly include civilian police to monitor human rights concerns for ethnic Georgians in Abkhazia. TEFFT