GEORGIA: AMBASSADORS RICE AND DICARLO URGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000127

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: AMBASSADORS RICE AND DICARLO URGE
GEORGIANS TO DECLARE VICTORY

Classified By: Ambassador Susan Rice for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Georgian PermRep Alexander Lomaia expressed
appreciation for the extension of UNOMIG, but warned that
Georgia might not view another UNOMIG extension as worthwhile
in June 2009. He complained that Russia had already begun to
spin the draft resolution as a victory. Ambassadors Rice and
DiCarlo urged Lomaia to look at what was actually achieved in
the resolution, and noted also that Western members of the
Council held the line on all issues related to Georgia's
sovereignty and territorial integrity. At the same time, Rice
and DiCarlo pointed out that Russia had acquiesced to another
four-month technical rollover that would buy more time for
Georgia to achieve its preferred outcome of a more robust UN
operation via energized Geneva discussions, and with indirect
references to a security zone. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Georgian PermRep Lomaia sought a meeting with
Ambassadors Rice and DiCarlo on February 12 to express
appreciation for UNOMIG's extension, but disappointment with
some elements of the draft resolution agreed upon by the
Friends of Georgia (Croatia, France, Germany, Russia, United
Kingdom, United States). He acknowledged the efforts of the
United States and other Western Friends to obtain a technical
rollover, and of our efforts to support Georgia's sovereignty
and territorial integrity in the Council's procedural
decisions. At the same time, he said that the combination of
an absence of a Georgia reference in the resolution with the
inclusion of a reference to a "future UN presence in the
region" undermined Georgia's territorial integrity. He was
also concerned that language on the August 12, 2008
cease-fire agreement did not include a call on Russia to
fulfill its obligations to withdraw its forces to pre-August
8 positions. Lomaia wondered whether a reference to
Resolution 1808, which he saw as a signal of the Council's
commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity, would fall out
of a future resolution, and he pointedly asked how committed
the U.S. was to keeping UNOMIG at any price.


3. (C) On procedural issues, he acknowledged U.S. efforts to
ensure that "The Situation in Georgia" remained the agenda
item for the Council's deliberations, but he expressed
concern that the informal Program of Work read, "Res 1839".
He believed that Russian PermRep Churkin is portraying the
draft resolution as a victory for Russia and is using its
ambiguities to support the Russian narrative that a new UN
mission would reflect "new realities" on the ground after the
August conflict.


4. (C) Ambassador Rice and DiCarlo both urged Ambassador
Lomaia to consider what was actually achieved in the
negotiations over extension of the UN mandate, and encouraged
Lomaia to counter the Russian version with the facts. Rice
emphasized that we had managed to get Russia to agree to
another technical rollover of the UN mission, with no
concessions on our territorial integrity redlines. Rice said
that the U.S. had worked very hard to make sure Russia was
not able to change the official agenda from "The Situation in
Georgia", and had successfully warded off Russian efforts to
get an agreement on a New York appearance by Abkhaz de facto
leaders.


5. (C) Ambassador DiCarlo added that the word, Georgia, had
already fallen out of the previous resolution, but when
members of the Council adopt a new resolution, there will be
no doubt that the resolution refers to Georgia since the
agenda would read, "The Situation in Georgia." DiCarlo also
pointed out that the text reinforces the need to respect the
August 12 and September 8 agreements as well as the need to
facilitate the return of IDPs and refugees-- important issues
for Georgia. Ambiguities in the text give Western countries
just as much room to declare victory as the Russians will
have. As an example, DiCarlo said, the reference to
paragraph 2(a) of the Moscow Agreement and the SYG's
recommendations in his report of February 4 allows us to
reinforce our view that Russia is bound by the weapons and
personnel limitations in the security zone.


6. (C) Ambassador Rice encouraged the Georgians to use the
time between now and June 15 to make progress in Geneva.
When Lomaia expressed concern about whether the "erosion" of
Georgia's position in the text would continue in June, Rice
said that Georgia should make sure not to box themselves in
by publicly characterizing the resolution as working against
their interests, as that would be self-defeating. Rice
agreed that we would need to do another assessment in
four-months time about whether it is worthwhile to continue
the UN presence, but the Geneva talks would play a large role
in determining the shape of any future mission. She also
said we would have to weigh the costs of keeping the mission
against the price we would have to pay to keep it.

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