VZCZCXRO8369
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #1085 3322331
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 282331Z NOV 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3209
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 1111
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 4162

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001085 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV GG UNSC
SUBJECT: GEORGIAN DFM MAJGALADZE AFFIRMS PARTICIPATION IN 
FULL GENEVA MEETING 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In a meeting with the New York Friends of 
Georgia on November 28, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister 
Majgaladze said Georgia could accept a full Geneva meeting of 
the Friends of Georgia that includes Russia and said the best 
timing would probably be in the new year.  He explained 
Georgia's request for a UN review of the peace process in 
Abkhazia was meant to review existing formats, not replace 
them.  Russia's representative at the meeting called for 
Abkhaz participation in both Friends and Security Council 
meetings in New York, defended Russia's role as facilitator 
of the peace process, criticized the lack of progress on the 
conflict to date and argued Georgia's presence in the Upper 
Kodori Valley is not in line with the Moscow Agreement. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On November 28, the New York Friends of Georgia (US, 
UK, France, Russia, Germany and Slovakia) met with Georgian 
Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgi Majgaladze to discuss the 
peace process in Abkhazia.  Majgaladze's presentation to the 
New York Friends stressed that Georgia wants a peaceful 
resolution of the Abkhaz conflict, greater attention to 
promoting the return of IDPs, and welcomes direct dialogue 
with the Abkhaz side.  He stated that prospects for resuming 
direct dialogue were good, perhaps in meetings in Gali and 
Zugdidi. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Majgaladze said that, despite Georgia's serious 
concerns that Russia could not be an impartial facilitator 
because of poor Georgia-Russia bilateral relations and recent 
Russian incursions and bombings in Georgia, Georgia could 
agree to the next Geneva meeting of the Friends in the full 
format that includes Russia in the interest of progress. 
However, discussion in Geneva should be frank and not 
sidestep controversial issues.  Majgaladze indicated early 
2008 would probably be the best time for a Geneva meeting as 
it was now too late to hold one this year.  Georgian Permrep 
Irakli Alasania added that Georgia had reflected on the 
success of the Friends in achieving strong language on IDPs 
in the recent UNOMIG resolution and accordingly believed 
there was scope for the Friends to work together successfully 
in Geneva. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Russia's representative also spoke and asserted that 
the Abkhaz side should be able to come to New York and 
express its views to the New York Friends and the Security 
Council.  The representative said that, except for the recent 
meeting of Georgian Conflicts Minister Bakradze and Abkhaz 
defacto Foreign Minister Shamba, there had been no progress 
and the Abkhazia conflict was frozen.  The Russian also 
charged that the presence of Georgian personnel in the Upper 
Kodori Valley was not in line with the Moscow Agreement.  He 
declared that Russia's role as a peace process facilitator 
was mentioned in all Security Council resolutions and Russia 
had lost more than 200 peacekeepers since the conflict began. 
He also asked when the document on the non-use of violence 
referred to in UNSCR 1781 would be completed. (Note. Calls 
for completion of documents on non-use of violence and return 
of refugees and IDPs are in a number of past UNOMIG 
resolutions. End note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) In his rebuttal, Majgaladze underscored that 
Georgia's request for a UN review of the peace process in 
Abkhazia was meant to review existing formats, not 
necessarily to lead to their replacement.  He added that a 
legal mechanism to end the process existed, but Georgia would 
not use this mechanism as ending the peace process was not 
its goal. Majgaladze said there were already at least nine 
existing documents on non-use of violence and related issues 
and asked why concerned parties were forgetting about those 
other documents.  Majgaladze charged that more than 2000 
local residents had died since the arrival of Russia's CIS 
peacekeepers and asserted that the records show the reason 
for the deaths of many of Russia's peacekeepers was low 
discipline and lack of necessary qualifications.  Alasania 
interjected that Georgia had been almost ready to sign the 
document on non-use of violence 18 months ago and that the 
existing draft could be returned to, perhaps with minor 
modifications.  Alasania expressed regret for the loss of 
both Russian and Georgian lives in Abkhazia. 
Khalilzad