GEORGIA: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000117

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON THE
SITUATION IN GEORGIA

REF: USUN 102


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In closed consultations on February 10,
all Security Council members except the Russian Federation
identified a continuing need for a UN presence in Georgia, at
least on an interim basis, which would ensure security and
stability pending consultations on a comprehensive security
regime between the Secretary-General and the parties. SRSG
Johan Verbeke emphasized that the main prerequisite for a
successful future UN mission would be a clear security
regime, including limits on military personnel and the
definition of security zones on both sides of the line of
conflict. Verbeke said both Georgian and Abkhaz leaders
would want a continued UN presence in Abkhazia, but they have
different views as to its proper role. Russian Ambassador
Churkin did not mention the need for a continued UN presence
during his remarks, and he urged the Council to accept the
"new realities" that were created on the ground after the
August 2008 conflict. In another closed consultation session
later on February 10, France distributed a draft resolution
as a Group of Friends agreed text. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Special Representative of the Secretary-General,
Johan Verbeke, told the Security Council during closed
consultations that Abkhaz and Georgian leaders had both
expressed support for a continuation of the UN mandate in
Georgia, albeit in different forms. He said the Georgian
side views the UN presence as a necessary complement to the
EU presence, and would want a revised UN mission to engage in
military monitoring and policing, particularly in areas of
Abkhazia with large ethnic-Georgian populations. Verbeke
said his understanding was that the Georgian side wanted
another technical rollover of UNOMIG in order to provide an
opportunity to work out the elements of a new mandate. He
said that the Abkhaz de facto authorities also wanted a
continued UN presence as a way to ensure security and
stability in Abkhazia, but viewed a future UN presence as
focusing more on "post-conflict" humanitarian concerns and
working with ethnic minorities. According to Verbeke, the
Abkhaz and the Georgians had been close to agreement on a
"5-sided" incident response and investigation mechanism
(i.e., UN, EUMM, Russia, Abkhazia, Georgia) at the last
Geneva meeting, and he hoped they would reach agreement on
this at the upcoming February 17-18 session.


3. (SBU) Verbeke said that the conditions for UNOMIG to carry
out its operations were fundamentally different than they had
been before the August 2008 conflict. As a whole, he thought
UNOMIG was able to execute its mandate "in a satisfactory
manner". However, with the underlying security regime of the
former Moscow Agreement no longer in place, the status of
UNOMIG was, "at best, unclear". He stressed that UNOMIG,
which had formerly relied on CIS peacekeepers for force
protection, was now dependent on the good will of the parties
for their own security. Verbeke emphasized that the most
important prerequisite for a future mission would be a clear
security regime, including quantitative and qualitative
limits on military personnel, and a defined security zone.
He thought the Security Council would want to endorse the
elements of a new security regime, which would need to be
worked out with the parties. In the interim, he hoped that
the parties would adhere to the basic elements of a regime
such as had been set out in the February 4 2009 SYG's report.


4. (SBU) In response to Verbeke's briefing, all Security
Council members except Russia voiced support for continuing a
UN presence in Georgia/Abkhazia, at least on an interim
basis, in order to maintain security and stability and to
facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced
persons (IDPs). "Western Friends" members Croatia, France,
and the United Kingdom reinforced the need to find a security
mechanism on both sides of the cease-fire line from the 1994
conflict. France expressed concern at the humanitarian
situation and mentioned the necessity of Russia and Georgia
complying with the terms of the International Court of
Justice ruling from October 15, 2008, regarding
discrimination, freedom of movement, and the protection of
property of IDPs and refugees. The United Kingdom expressed
concern about the buildup of forces along the administrative
border between Abkhazia and Georgia-proper, and noted the
responsibility of the Russian Federation as an occupying
force to protect civilian populations in Abkhazia. Croatia
called for a renewed UNOMIG mandate and emphasized the need
for all parties to cooperate with the UN mission.


5. (SBU) Ambassador Rice agreed with the SRSG's assessment
that the security situation remained volatile. She cited the
heavy buildup of artillery on the Abkhaz side and the
construction of Russian fortifications. She reinforced the
need to maintain international monitoring on both sides of

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the cease-fire line and mentioned the importance of the
Geneva talks as the appropriate forum for all parties to
present their views on a comprehensive security regime. She
also reinforced the need to address the issues of the return
of IDPs and refugees and urged the Secretary-General to be
vigilant in investigating reports of human rights violations.


6. (SBU) Mexico made a strong statement in favor of keeping a
UN presence, and said a comprehensive mandate should include
monitoring the cease-fire, providing humanitarian assistance,
assisting in the return of IDPs, acting as a liaison among
the parties, preventing trafficking in persons, and
implementing confidence building measures. Turkey called for
an "effective, uninterrupted UN presence, at least for an
interim period", noting that it was encouraged by the
prospect that the "Group of Friends" would soon produce a
consensus draft resolution. Austria mentioned humanitarian
concerns and said an EU international human rights fact
finding mission would soon be traveling to the region.
Uganda supported the continuing presence of a UN mission in
the region as well as the discussions underway in Geneva.
Japan also reinforced the need for a continuation of the UN
presence on an interim basis, pending discussions in Geneva
on a more comprehensive security regime.


7. (SBU) Council members China, Vietnam and Libya, who were
often silent during Georgia consultations in the immediate
aftermath of the August 2008 conflict, all voiced support for
maintaining a UN mission on an interim basis and for
continuing negotiations among the parties through the Geneva
talks. China emphasized that maintaining peace and security
was the responsibility of "both parties", and endorsed a UN
presence that would maintain security with the agreement of
"all sides." Vietnam encouraged the Secretary-General to
continue to work with the parties to define a security
regime, acknowledging the current difficult security
situation. Libya reaffirmed "all initiatives" to reach a
consensus on a revised mandate and supported the
Secretary-General in continuing negotiations with the
parties, despite their divergence of views on more permanent
security arrangements.


8. (SBU) Russian Ambassador Churkin did not mention the need
for a continued UN presence in his remarks. Instead, he
criticized the SYG's report and SRSG Verbeke's briefing as
being "imbalanced" and "biased against the events in the
region since August 2008. He also criticized UNOMIG for
focusing its monitoring on the Abkhaz side of the boundary
with Georgia, saying, "UNOMIG had 98 meetings since August
with Abkhaz forces, but slightly more modest activity on the
Georgian side." Churkin cited the "new realities" that had
been created after the August conflict, including the
"Medvedev-Sarkozy" plan, which Russia characterized as giving
the EU responsibility for the security of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. He also said that Russian forces were in Abkhazia
under a bilateral agreement, and that Russian armed forces
acted as a guarantor of Abkhazia's security. He denied that
Russian forces were engaged in implementing any control over
freedom of movement in Abkhazia, but allowed the possibility
that Abkhaz forces might be involved in such activity. He
also conditioned facilitation for the return of "refugees" on
an agreement from Georgia not to use force.


9. (SBU) After further discussions among the Group of Friends
on the elements of a resolution, France, reconvened the
Council later in the day on February 10 in order to
distribute the draft Security Council resolution to extend
the UNOMIG mandate (see Reftel).
Rice