GEORGIA: SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UNOMIG MANDATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000140 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC RS GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UNOMIG MANDATE REF: SECSTATE 13453 ¶1. The Security Council unanimously adopted an extension of the UNOMIG mandate until June 15, 2009 in a short meeting on February 13, 2009 (Res. 1866, see reftel for resolution text). Prior to the adoption, the Council held brief consultations and agreed that the resolution would be a presidential text, meaning that all 15 members would jointly sponsor the resolution. Council members also agreed in consultations that there would be no explanations of vote given after the adoption and that representatives from Georgia and Germany would be permitted to participate in the session. ¶2. In comments to the press after the session, Georgian Permrep Alexander Lomaia praised the call for the security zones to be respected and called for Russian forces to withdraw from the 12 kilometer and 24 kilometer zones as a first step toward Russia's full withdrawal from Georgian territory. He criticized Russia's actions to construct military bases in Abkhazia as a violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as international law. ¶3. Russian PermRep Vitaly Churkin pointed to the "expressed acceptance" by Abkhaz de facto leaders for the UN to operate in Abkhazia as a prerequisite to adoption of the resolution. He characterized this as a key factor in the Council's decision to extend the mandate. Churkin welcomed the August 12 and September 8 agreements, and pointed to references in the resolution related to the use of force as a possible first step toward a Georgian signature on a non-use of force agreement. Churkin said the resolution was "more than just a technical extension", adding that it emphasized the need for talks to continue in Geneva and expressed the intention of the Council to redefine the mandate "taking into consideration the facts on the ground." He said Georgia had "unilaterally walked out of the Moscow Agreement" and that the Council had reinstated paragraph 2(a) of the agreement on the understanding that a thorough revision of the security zones would be a later step. In response to a question, Churkin said that there is no mention of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia in the resolution, which, he said, would have been unacceptable to Russia. ¶4. Churkin said there was "nothing wrong with having Russian bases in Abkhazia" as part of Russia's effort to protect the Abkhaz people just as the EU presence is crucial in the adjacent zones (in Georgia proper). Asked whether he was disappointed that Abkhaz leaders had not participated in the Council session, Churkin said, "they did not ask to come this time." ¶5. U.K. Permrep Sawers emphasized four points in his press comments. First, he said, the resolution does emphasize Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity due to its specific reference to Resolution 1808. Second, the resolution reinstated the security and restricted weapons zones that had existed under paragraph 2(a) of the Moscow Agreement. Third, it calls on all parties to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance and the return of IDPs. And fourth, he said, it points to the Geneva process as the forum for discussion of more durable security arrangements. ¶6. Ambassador DiCarlo emphasized to reporters that the reference to resolution 1808 and previous resolutions underscored the Council's commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. She cited the references to the August 12, 2008 and September 8, 2008 cease-fire agreements and pointed out that all parties committed in the agreements not to use force and to withdraw their military forces to the pre-August 8, 2008 positions. DiCarlo also said that Resolution 1866 reinforced the Geneva process, and that decisions on a revised UN mandate would be guided by the recommendations of the Secretary-General and by the discussions in Geneva. DiCarlo said that the resolution had taken note of the Secretary-General's recommendations for certain aspects of the Moscow Agreement to be respected by all parties and had included the security zones in paragraph 2(a) of the Agreement. In response to a question on Russian bases in Abkhazia, Ambassador DiCarlo referred to the Department's previous statement that the bases would be a violation of Russia's August 12 and September 8 commitments. Rice