GEORGIA: RUSSIAN VETO FORCES EXPIRATION OF UNOMIG

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000595

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM UNSC UNOMIG RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: RUSSIAN VETO FORCES EXPIRATION OF UNOMIG
MANDATE

REF: SECSTATE 60825

Classified By: Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) The Russian Federation vetoed a two-week technical
rollover of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia
(UNOMIG) on June 15, 2009, after several attempts by the Quad
to reach compromise with Russia on the terms of a substantive
resolution. Per Reftel instructions, USUN had consulted
closely with Quad missions in New York and attempted to reach
agreement on a substantive resolution prior to the expiration
of the UNOMIG mandate on June 15, 2009. Late in the day on
June 14, when it became certain that Russia would not engage
further on a substantive resolution, Quad missions, joined by
Croatia, Austria and Turkey, tabled a two week technical
rollover that contained an explicit reference to Resolution

1808. During consultations of the whole on June 15, Russia
attempted several procedural tactics to delay a vote, and
eventually vetoed a technical rollover that had garnered 10
votes in favor and 4 abstentions. UNOMIG's mandate expires
on June 15, 2009. End Summary.


2. (SBU) The Russian Federation vetoed a technical rollover
of the mandate for the United Nations Observer Mission in
Georgia on June 15. When the draft resolution was put to a
vote late in the day on June 15, Austria, Burkina Faso, Costa
Rica, Croatia, France, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, U.K, and U.S.
voted in favor. China, Libya, Vietnam and Uganda abstained
and Russia voted against. Since Russia vetoed the
resolution, the UN mandate will expire on June 15.


3. (C) Prior to tabling the draft technical rollover, per
reftel instructions, USUN consulted closely with Quad
(France, Germany, U.K., U.S.) and Croatia missions throughout
June 12-15 in an attempt to reach agreement on the elements
of a substantive mandate to extend the UN Observer Mission in
Georgia. Quad Croatia presented Russian Permrep Vitaly
Churkin with a substantially pared down draft resolution on
June 12, and attempted for five hours to negotiate in earnest
on the draft. Ambassador Churkin was visibly uncomfortable
with efforts by the Quad to engage, and when faced with
compromises offered by the Quad, he would offer new
objections to language he had already agreed to. Churkin
walked out of the negotiations on Friday evening when the
Quad refused to change its position on the necessity of a
reference to Resolution 1808 in a preambular paragraph.


4. (C) Ambassador Churkin did not return to the negotiations
throughout June 13-14 and Quad Ambassadors determined on June
14 that it would be necessary to introduce a two-week
technical rollover resolution late in the day on June 14 in
order to give sufficient time for Members to receive
instructions that would allow them to vote on June 15.


5. (C) At Security Council consultations on June 15,
Ambassador Churkin insisted that language in the preambular
paragraph of the technical rollover referring to Resolution
1808 was unacceptable, and he insisted that he would veto the
resolution if the reference to Resolution 1808 were not
removed, despite the fact that this language mirrored exactly
the previous resolutions adopted in February 2009 (1866) and
October 2008 (1839). During a break in consultations,
Ambassador Churkin announced to the press that he would veto
the draft resolution, if put to a vote.


6. (C) When consultations resumed just prior to the vote,
Russia attempted to delay a vote by raising several
procedural issues, including whether the meeting should be
open or closed, whether the Georgian Permrep could
participate, and whether Abkhaz de facto authorities should
be represented. The Turkish Presidency polled the members on
each issue, and 12 members agreed that the Georgian Permrep
could speak in an open meeting of the Council for the vote.


7. (U) The UNOMIG mandate expires on June 15, 2009.
DICARLO