GEORGIA: PERMREP SEEKS US VIEWS ON FUTURE OF UNOMIG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000257

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM UNSC UNOMIG RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: PERMREP SEEKS US VIEWS ON FUTURE OF UNOMIG

Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) Summary. Georgian Permrep Alexander Lomaia told
Ambassador DiCarlo on March 12 that Georgia would like to see
the UN presence in Georgia/Abkhazia continue. It should
include a peacekeeping force to patrol a demilitarized zone,
an executive policing component, and a concrete mechanism for
the return of IDPs. Lomaia had solicited views from other
friends and allies on a new UN mandate and had some concerns
about European resolve to retain a strong EU presence in
Georgia in the event the UN mandate were to expire.
Ambassador DiCarlo said it was important not only to have a
clear understanding among Western allies of an ideal mandate,
but also of our red lines on issues that affect understanding
of Georgia's territorial integrity (e.g., name of the
mission, location of UN offices, appearance of de facto
authorities in New York, name of the UN report, name of the
SC agenda item, etc.),since Russia would likely seek some
concessions in these areas during a negotiation. Lomaia said
that the most important issues for Georgia in this regard
were: a reference to Res 1808; keeping the agenda item as,
"The Situation in Georgia", having a Georgian representative
present for the adoption of a resolution, and keeping the de
facto Abkhaz authorities out of the Security Council. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) Georgian Permrep Alexander Lomaia and Deputy Permrep
Irakli Chikovani sought Ambassador DiCarlo's views on March
12 on a new mandate for the UN mission in Georgia. (The
mandate for the current mission expires on June 15, 2009.
Resolution 1866 requests the Secretary-General (SYG) to
submit a report by May 15 that would include recommendations
for a future UN presence.) Lomaia said Tbilisi would like to
see a continued UN presence in Georgia, and that in order for
Tbilisi "to have confidence in the mission", it would need to
include a peacekeeping force that would patrol a
demilitarized zone, an executive policing component, and a
concrete mechanism for returns of internally displaced
persons (IDPs).


3. (C) Lomaia said he had already sought the views of UN SRSG
for Georgia, Johan Verbeke, who has been tasked with drafting
the recommendations for the May 15 SYG report, as well as
with the French and German Permreps. Lomaia's impression was
that Verbeke was considering a demilitarized zone of about
2.5 km on both sides of the Enguri River, with a larger "zone
of confidence" of about 10 km in which there would be
restrictions on the movement of troops and military
equipment. Verbeke was also considering humanitarian and
"confidence building" aspects to the mission, Lomaia
believed.


4. (C) Lomaia was concerned, however, about the future
relationship between the UN mission and the EU Monitoring
Mission (EUMM),which is deployed only on the Georgian side
of the administrative boundary between Abkhazia and
Georgia-proper. French Permrep Ripert had told Lomaia that
the termination of the UNOMIG mission could lead to the
termination of the EUMM presence as well, since in that case
it would be difficult to convince EU members that the EUMM
were still relevant. Ripert had also suggested that the UN
role should be expanded to include monitoring in South
Ossetia, and could become an umbrella for future EUMM
activities. Lomaia was concerned about reports from German
Permrep Matussek that the French had insisted on the removal
of language from an early German draft of Res. 1886 that
specifically endorsed the EUMM's monitoring role.


5. (C) Ambassador DiCarlo welcomed the initiative of Georgia
to consider a new UN mandate, and encouraged Lomaia to
continue to share his views with us. DiCarlo thought it
important for Western allies to have a clear and unified
understanding of an ideal UN mandate, but also thought we
should also keep in mind that if Russia were to acquiesce to
a more robust monitoring mechanism, it would likely also seek
concessions from the West on questions such as the name of
the mission or the appearance of Abkhaz de facto authorities
in New York. DiCarlo asked Lomaia to consider Georgian
redlines on these and other issues that could signal a change
in the Security Council's understanding of Georgia's
sovereignty and territorial integrity.


6. (C) Overall, DiCarlo thought capitals would need to play a
strong role in defining a new UN mandate. She also thought
it important that the SYG's report should be released with
sufficient time to negotiate the terms of a new mission
before the June 15 expiration of UNOMIG.


7. (C) Ambassador Lomaia said that the aspects of Georgia's
territorial integrity which mattered most to Tbilisi would
be: a reference to Resolution 1808 in any SC resolution

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related to Georgia; ensuring that the agenda item for the
Security Council remained, "The Situation in Georgia";
ensuring that a representative from Georgia is invited to
participate in the adoption of a resolution; and keeping
representatives of the Abkhaz (and South Ossetia) de facto
authorities out of the Security Council. Georgian Deputy
Permrep Chikovani said he also believed Russia would insist
that the name of the May 15 SYG's report reflect Resolution
1866, without any reference to Georgia. Lomaia acknowledged
that these "redlines" were Tbilisi's "official positions",
but that Georgia did not control the actions of the Security
Council, and would need to be flexible.
Wolff