Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10TBILISI199
2010-02-17 08:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

GEORGIA: SENATORS MCCAIN, THUNE AND BARRASSO INVESTIGATE

Tags:  PGOV PREL GG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5429
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHSI #0199/01 0480841
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170841Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2874
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000199 

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SENATORS MCCAIN, THUNE AND BARRASSO INVESTIGATE
SECURITY SITUATION IN GEORGIA

TBILISI 00000199 001.2 OF 002


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000199

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SENATORS MCCAIN, THUNE AND BARRASSO INVESTIGATE
SECURITY SITUATION IN GEORGIA

TBILISI 00000199 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary: Senators John McCain (R-AZ),John Thune (R-SD)
and John Barrasso (R-WY) met January 10-11 in the Black Sea resort
city of Batumi with President Saakashvili and other members of the
GoG as well as opposition representatives. They also traveled to
Zugdidi near the administrative boundary line with Abkhazia to meet
with EUMM representatives and a group of IDPs. During the visit,
Senator McCain was awarded the honor of National Hero, the first
time a non-Georgian has received such an honor. End Summary.

Codel Visits Batumi


2. (SBU) Senators McCain, Thune, and Barrasso met with President
Saakashvili on arrival during their visit on January 10-11. In
their several meetings, President Saakashvili stressed his concern
about Georgia's security situation as a result of Russian occupation
of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He
highlighted the tremendous economic progress that Georgia was making
in building up the Black Sea resort city of Batumi, contrasting it
favorably with the difficulties that Russia was having in developing
Sochi prior to the 2014 Olympic Games. Senator McCain shared
President Saakashvili's doubts that Russia intended to comply with
its obligations under the Sarkozy-Medvedev agreement. Senator
McCain thanked the President for Georgia's decision to send troops
to Afghanistan and reiterated that Georgia enjoyed bi-partisan
support on the issue of its territorial integrity.


3. (SBU) On January 11, Senator McCain was presented the award of
National Hero by President Saakashvili for Senator McCain's longtime
support of Georgia's democratic aspirations. Following the
ceremony, the delegation had lunch with President Saakashvili,
Deputy Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria, Deputy Minister of Interior
Eka Zguladze, National Security Council Secretary Eka
Tkeshelashvili, and a number of other GoG officials.

Opposition Meeting


4. (SBU) The delegation met with Giorgi Targamadze (Christian
Democratic Movement),Levan Gachechiladze (Protect Georgia
Movement),and David Usupashvili (Republicans/Alliance for Georgia)
to discuss opposition views of current events. All three expressed
their support for Georgia's deployment to Afghanistan, as well as
their concern about the current security situation and Russian
intentions towards Georgia in general. Targamadze and Usupashvili
questioned President Saakashvili's rhetoric toward Russia and
whether it has served to raise tensions. Targamadze and Usupashvili
highlighted the lack of development of democratic institutions and a
difficult media environment for the opposition. All three
opposition leaders said that upcoming local elections would be a
significant signal as to how willing the GoG was to hold free
elections and develop democratic society and institutions.

IDP meeting in Zugdidi


5. (SBU) A group of 18 IDPs from Sukhumi, Ochamchire and Gali
districts of Abkhazia met with the delegation in Zugdidi. The group
consisted of people from a variety of occupations and included five
ethnic Abkhaz who came to Zugdidi after the August 2008 conflict.
Two of the ethnic Abkhaz who took the floor to speak on behalf of
their families and other Abkhaz who crossed the boundary, expressed
concern with what they called "the Russian occupation" of Abkhazia.
They accused Russian forces of imposing Russian citizenship on the
population, exploiting Abkhaz natural resources, barring
international humanitarian and human rights organizations and
election observers from entering Abkhazia. "The Kremlin is trying to
Qelection observers from entering Abkhazia. "The Kremlin is trying to
repeat the Mukhajirstvo (practice of expelling Abkhazs into the
Ottoman Empire during Russia's Caucasus war in 1864),and we are
appealing to the West to prevent it," said one Abkhaz IDP. An
ethnic Georgian IDP stressed that the Russian forces are
artificially dividing the two peoples, "standing between them like a
wall."

EUMM briefing


6. (SBU) The delegation met with EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) head
Ambassador Hans-joerg Haber and other staff members at the EUMM
Zugdidi Field Office. Haber briefed the delegation on the nature of
its mandate and organization of the Mission, including EUMM's
achievements and challenges. EUMM staff members provided the
delegation with information on security incidents that have occurred
along the administrative boundary line and ongoing human rights
issues. EUMM also gave an assessment of Georgian and Russian
compliance with te ceasefire agreements, noting its view that the
Georgians exercise restraint near the boundaries, but Russia remains
non-compliant with the ceasefire agreements by maintaining troops,
FSB Border Guard units, and heavy military equipment in both
Abkhazia and South Ossetia.


7. (U) Senator McCain's office did not have an opportunity to
clear this cable.

TBILISI 00000199 002.2 OF 002



BASS