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O 171706Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2253
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNPFP/PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE PROGRAM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0805
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USNATO 000334 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS GG RF
SUBJECT: NATO-GEORGIA JOINT PRESS STATEMENT 
 
¶1. (SBU) On September 15, the North Atlantic Council at the 
level of NATO Permanent Representatives traveled to Tbilisi 
for two days of meetings (details to be reported septel), 
including the inaugural meeting of the NATO-Georgia 
Commission (NGC). 
 
¶2. (U) Following the NGC meeting, the two sides issued the 
following Joint Press Statement: 
 
NATO-GEORGIA JOINT PRESS STATEMENT 
 
ON THE OCCASION OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL VISIT TO 
GEORGIA AND 
 
THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE NATO-GEORGIA COMMISSION 
 
Tbilisi, 15 September 2008 
 
 
¶1.    Today Georgia hosted the first meeting of the 
NATO-Georgia Commission at Ambassadorial level with the 
participation of the Georgian Prime Minister and the Georgian 
State Commission on Euro-Atlantic Integration. The decision 
to establish the NATO-Georgia Commission was taken by Allied 
Foreign Ministers on 19 August 2008 in light of the recent 
conflict to supervise the process set in hand at Bucharest 
and to coordinate measures of support to Georgia as agreed by 
the Allies. This Commission is inaugurated on the occasion of 
a two-day consultation, information and outreach visit of the 
North Atlantic Council to Georgia upon the invitation of the 
Georgian authorities, to which the Council agreed on 22 April 
¶2008. This first official visit of the North Atlantic Council 
to Georgia is a demonstration of the importance the Alliance 
attaches to its partnership with Georgia.  In addition to the 
meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission, the North Atlantic 
Council met with President Saakashvili and members of his 
cabinet. There will also be meetings with representatives of 
the Georgian Parliament, the European Union, the OSCE and the 
United Nations. 
 
¶2.    Allied Ambassadors reaffirmed support for Georgia's 
sovereignty and territorial integrity and reaffirmed the 
statement made by the North Atlantic Council on 27 August, 
which condemned the decision of the Russian Federation to 
recognise the independence of the Georgian regions of South 
Ossetia and Abkhazia, in contravention of fundamental OSCE 
principles and United Nations Security Council Resolutions, 
and called upon Russia to reverse its decision as well as the 
recent steps it has taken in association with its recognition 
of the Abkhazian and South Ossetian regions of Georgia. 
Allied Ambassadors reiterated NATO Foreign Ministers' concern 
that Russia,s military action has been disproportionate 
during the crisis. They repeated the Foreign Ministers' call 
on Russia to immediately and fully implement the 12 August 
2008 six-point plan agreed by Presidents Saakashvili and 
Medvedev and to withdraw their forces to positions held on 6 
August 2008, in accordance with this agreement. (Footnote 1) 
Allied Ambassadors called for swift, complete, and good faith 
implementation of the agreement, including a new 
international mechanism to monitor respect for these 
engagements. They welcomed the ongoing international efforts 
to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. In this 
context, they noted as a positive step the document of 8 
September 2008 agreed between European Union leaders and the 
Presidents of Russia and Georgia, and stressed the need for 
the agreed measures to be put fully into practice within the 
stipulated timeframes, as part of the complete implementation 
of the six-point agreement. Allied Ambassadors also deplored 
the use of force in the conflict between Georgia and Russia, 
reaffirmed that there can be no military solution to the 
unresolved conflicts and reminded all parties that peaceful 
conflict resolution is a key principle of the Partnership for 
Peace Framework Document. 
 
¶3.    During the meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission, the 
two sides exchanged views on the situation in Georgia and its 
implications for Euro-Atlantic security. Allied Ambassadors 
 
USNATO 00000334  002 OF 003 
 
 
expressed profound regret for all loss of life, civilian 
casualties, and damage to civilian infrastructure caused by 
the conflict in Georgia. They also discussed with the 
Georgian side measures of concrete support by the Alliance to 
Georgia, as outlined in the declaration made by NATO Foreign 
Ministers at their 19 August 2008 meeting. 
 
¶4.    The Georgian Prime Minister, Mr. Lado Gurgenidze, 
emphasized that Georgia attaches particular importance to the 
visit of the North Atlantic Council to Georgia in response to 
its invitation after the Bucharest Summit, and particularly 
during this difficult period of time. The Georgian Prime 
Minister discussed details of the conflict and he stated that 
a significant part of Georgian territory remains occupied by 
the Russian Federation. At the same time, the Prime Minister 
of Georgia underlined that the Georgian Parliament had 
declared on 28 August 2008 the Russian armed forces currently 
deployed on the territory of Georgia as occupying military 
units and the Georgian Regions of Abkhazia and 
Tskhinvali/South Ossetia as occupied by Russia. The Georgian 
side strongly condemned Russia,s unilateral recognition of 
the Georgian Regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia 
which is in grave violation of the fundamental principles and 
norms of international law. The Georgian side called for an 
impartial and comprehensive international investigation of 
the conflict between Georgia and Russia, its genesis, and 
reports of ethnic cleansing.  The Prime Minister confirmed 
Georgia's commitments undertaken in the process of mediation 
by French President Sarkozy, as President of the EU, and 
reiterated Georgia's gratitude for all international efforts 
aimed at a peaceful settlement of the conflict, the 
withdrawal of all forces to their positions held on August 6, 
and quick agreement to a new international mechanism to 
monitor compliance, including in both conflict regions, as 
agreed with European Union leaders. The Prime Minister 
expressed Georgia's appreciation for NATO's practical 
assistance to Georgia in a variety of areas. The Prime 
Minister also welcomed the establishment today and first 
session of the NATO-Georgia Commission. He expressed the hope 
that the Commission will assist Georgia to carry forward the 
process set in hand by NATO at the Bucharest Summit and help 
accelerate Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration process. The 
Georgian Prime Minister welcomed the Alliance,s decisions at 
the NATO Bucharest Summit, including those regarding 
Georgia,s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and expressed high 
hopes for a positive decision by the Alliance on Georgia,s 
Membership Action Plan (MAP) application at the NATO Foreign 
Ministerial meeting in December of this year. The Prime 
Minister reaffirmed Georgia's commitment to actively pursue 
the democratic, judicial, economic, and defence reforms. 
 
¶5.    Allied Ambassadors stressed NATO's determination to 
continue to assist Georgia in its democratic development and 
the programme of reforms set out in Georgia,s Individual 
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO. They recognised the 
achievements and welcomed Georgia's efforts in the fields of 
democratic, judicial, economic, and defence reforms, and 
stressed the need for Georgia to continue, even under the 
difficult circumstances it currently faces, to make every 
effort to deepen reforms and make them irreversible. In this 
context, Allied Ambassadors welcomed the active use of 
Intensified Dialogue. Allied Ambassadors encouraged all 
political forces in Georgia to make every effort to continue 
building a healthy democratic political culture in the 
country. They also voiced the Alliance,s appreciation of 
Georgia,s contributions to NATO-led operations. 
 
¶6.    The two sides also exchanged views on the deepening of 
the NATO-Georgia relationship, as endorsed by Allied Heads of 
State and Government at the April 2008 NATO Bucharest Summit. 
Allied Ambassadors recalled the Bucharest Summit Declaration, 
in which NATO Heads of State and Government: welcomed 
Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations for membership in NATO; 
agreed that Georgia will become a member of NATO; agreed that 
MAP is the next step for Georgia on its direct way to 
membership; made clear their support for Georgia,s 
application for MAP; agreed to begin a period of intensive 
 
USNATO 00000334  003 OF 003 
 
 
engagement at a high political level to address the questions 
still outstanding pertaining to its MAP application; asked 
NATO Foreign Ministers to make a first assessment of progress 
at their December 2008 meeting; and agreed that Foreign 
Ministers have the authority to decide on the MAP application 
of Georgia. 
 
¶7.    Allied Ambassadors are looking forward to carrying out 
a dialogue with a wide spectrum of civil society in Georgia, 
and note the important role civil society plays in moving 
Georgia closer to its goal of Euro-Atlantic integration. 
Allied Ambassadors will also take part in the opening 
ceremony of a new Partnership for Peace Trust Fund and they 
will visit Gori. Ambassadors expressed their thanks for the 
warm welcome they received from the Government and people of 
Georgia. 
 
Footnote 1. As complemented by President Sarkozy's 
clarifications and correspondence on this issue. 
 
END TEXT 
VOLKER