DEMARCHE ON GEORGIA'S SEPARATIST REGIONS: EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000088 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019 TAGS: PREL GG RS EUN SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON GEORGIA'S SEPARATIST REGIONS: EU OPPOSED TO SANCTIONS REF: A. 08 STATE 134559 ¶B. USEU-TODAY 21 JAN. 2009 Classified By: POL M-C Chris Davis for reasons 1.4 a. and d. ¶1. (C) Mission delegation, led by Charg, delivered Ref A points January 21 to Helga Schmid, Director of the EU Council Secretariat's Policy Unit. She responded that the EU was very much on board with respect to using "carrots" with Georgia to lure especially Abkhazia away from a Russian embrace. Schmid drew a sharp distinction between Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the latter she viewed to be potentially much less independent from Russian influence. ¶2. (C) She noted that RELEX Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner was that very day in Georgia to announce the release of some of the funds pledged for Georgia (the Growth and Stabilization Package) last October (ref B). Schmid, however, was much less sanguine with respect to the use of the "sticks" of targeted sanctions and visa bans. ¶3. (C) Pol M-C delivered the same points January 21 to Carl Hallergard, a Counsellor in EU Council High Representative Javier Solana's Private Office. Hallergard said he would strongly advise against the use of "sticks." In his view, sanctions and visa bans would be used as a pretext by the targeted breakaway provinces to kill the Geneva process. MURRAY .