Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10TBILISI155
2010-02-03 15:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

GEORGIA WELCOMES THE SECRETARY'S SPEECH ON

Tags:  PREL PGOV GG 
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PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHSI #0155 0341515
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031515Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2814
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS TBILISI 000155 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA WELCOMES THE SECRETARY'S SPEECH ON
EUROPEAN SECURITY

UNCLAS TBILISI 000155

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA WELCOMES THE SECRETARY'S SPEECH ON
EUROPEAN SECURITY


1. (SBU) Government and non-governmental figures alike
welcomed the Secretary's 29 January speech on European
security. President Saakashvili's spokeswoman on 30 January
noted that the remarks demonstrated Washington's support for
Georgia. He welcomed the "unambiguous position and support"
from the United States, and noted that this "firm policy"
ensures that the United States will not allow Russia to allow
the Caucasus to be dominated as part of a sphere of
influence. The president also noted that the approach would
not let the Kremlin "legalize ethnic cleansing" in its
expulsion of "500,000" Georgians and the occupation of 20
percent of Georgian territory. Parliamentary opposition
leader Giorgi Targamadze (Christian-Democratic Movement) was
also positive, citing the speech's encouragement for Georgia
and stressing that the Secretary's speech would serve as a
reminder for Russia that Georgia would permanently be on the
agenda.


2. (SBU) The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a
statement supporting the positions laid out by the Secretary,
particularly emphasizing the point that the cornerstone of
European security was the "sovereignty and territorial
integrity of all states." The MFA noted that the Secretary
stated her belief that the second principle of European
security was the "indivisibility of security," and that
common goals are best pursued using existing institutions
such as OSCE and NATO. Also emphasized was that the United
States did not share Russia'ssense of insecurity over the
expansion of NATO and the EU, believing that enlargement
increased Russia's security and prosperity, and that NATO
should remain open to any nation that aspires to be a member.
OSCE received a prominent place in the statement as well,
with the Secretary's comments about OSCE empowerment and U.S.
proposals for strengthening the organization having
particular resonance in the MFA statement, in light of the
termination of the OSCE mission in Georgia in 2009.


3. (SBU) Georgian media stressed the Secretary's comments
citing the need for Russia to honor the terms of the
ceasefire agreement following the August 2008 war, and the
refusal of the United States to recognize Russia's claims of
independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Liberal daily
"24 Hours" reported that the speech signaled a change in U.S.
foreign policy from a pragmatic approach to one based closer
on common values with its allies. However, Georgian
Foundation for Strategic and International Studies expert
Archil Gegeshidze disagreed, stating that there was nothing
new in the speech in regards to its criticism of Russian
policy in the former Soviet Union. Head of the European
Research Center Kakha Gogolashvili said that the speech
clearly set out the U.S. position on recent Russian
proposals, and that it was a validation that one could not
view Georgian security without considering the architecture
of European security. There did not appear to be any
negative comments about the speech detailed in the media.
BASS