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RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 000482 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL GG UNSC
SUBJECT: UN SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS SPECIAL SESSION ON 
UNOMIG REPORT ON UAV SHOOTDOWN 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On May 30 the UN Security Council held a 
special session on the UN Observer Mission in Georgia's 
(UNOMIG) report on the shootdown of a Georgian UAV on April 
¶20.  Georgian Permrep Alasania stated that he had come to 
discuss a direct threat to the sovereignty and territorial 
integrity of Georgia, underscoring that the report of 
UNOMIG's independent investigation had held Russia 
responsible.  Alasania charged that Russia had revealed a 
biased approach and was undermining its role as a facilitator 
of the peace process and pointed to the UNOMIG reports' 
observation that third party action was inconsistent with the 
Moscow Agreement and may raise concerns under international 
law.  Alasania encouraged the Security Council to consider "a 
truly international law enforcement and security component" 
through adjustment of the peacekeeping mechanisms.  He stated 
the Georgia seeks to work with Russia, but stressed that "the 
ball is in Russia's court."  Alasania called for: a 
withdrawal of the additional military complement deployed in 
Abkhazia on April 30, reversal of the March 6 withdrawal from 
CIS sanctions, reversal of the April 16 Russian Presidential 
Instructions and international inspection of the Gadauta 
military base. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Russian Permrep Churkin insisted the UAV incident 
covered in UNOMIG's report was solely a bilateral issue 
between Georgians and Abkhaz and could not be usefully 
discussed without the presence of an Abkhaz representative. 
Without directly denying Russian responsibility, he stated 
that Georgian UAV flights constitute "a military action" and 
said such flights have been systemic. He claimed that the 
violation of Georgia's air borders had not been confirmed 
therefore the jet could have come from anywhere and could 
even have been Georgian.  Ambassador Wolff stated that 
UNOMIG's report on the downing of a UAV over Georgian 
territory offers evidence of Russia's unwillingness to 
respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.  He 
noted that Churkin had not directly denied the conclusions of 
the report regarding possible Russian culpability.  Wolff 
called on Russia to reverse its recent provocative actions on 
Abkhazia that undermine the Friends' process and to reduce 
its heightened military posture in Abkhazia.  France, 
Belgium, China and the UK also made statements.  Eight 
members of the Security Council made no statements.  End 
Summary. 
 
Georgia: Russia Responsible, Ball Now In Russia's Court 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (SBU) On May 30 the UN Security Council held a special 
session at the request of Georgia on UNOMIG's report on the 
shootdown of a Georgian UAV on April 20.  Georgian Permrep 
Alasania stated that he had come to the Security Council to 
discuss a direct threat to the sovereignty and territorial 
integrity of Georgia, underscoring that the report of 
UNOMIG's independent investigation into the shooting down of 
a Georgian UAV on April 20 held Russia responsible.  He said 
that Georgia had exercised its sovereign right of monitoring 
the situation on its own territory and UNOMIG's fact finding 
team had concluded that Georgia's video was authentic. 
Alasania noted that UNOMIG had concluded that either a MIG-29 
or SU-27 intercepted the UAV and had flown away into Russian 
airspace after the attack. Alasania charged that Russia had 
revealed its biased approach and was undermining its role as 
a facilitator of the peace process and pointed to the 
reports' observation that third party action is inconsistent 
with the Moscow Agreement and may raise concerns under 
international law.  Alasania stated that the shootdown of the 
UAV and recent Russian Presidential Order to establish legal 
ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia "constitute a profound 
disregard for the sovereignty of Georgia."  He said that the 
CIS Peacekeeping Force had failed to maintain a secure and 
stable environment in the zone of hostility and the Georgian 
population there is subject "to constant terror with their 
human rights violated with the tacit consent or direct 
involvement of the Russian peacekeepers."  He also criticized 
the recent Russian transfer into Abkhazia of an airborne 
brigade, armed with heavy weaponry, including artillery and 
air defense systems. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Alasania called for a recognition of the dichotomy 
between the existing peacekeeping operation in Abkhazia and 
impartial peacekeeping operations as envisaged by the 
founders of the UN.  Alasania encouraged the Security Council 
to consider "a truly international law enforcement and 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000482  002 OF 003 
 
 
security component" through adjustment of the peacekeeping 
mechanisms.  Alasania also demanded from Russia an official 
explanation of the act of aggression, compensation for the 
Ministry of Internal Affairs' material loss and a commitment 
to refrain from provocative acts in Georgia's conflict 
regions.  He stated the Georgia seeks to work with Russia, 
but stressed that "the ball is in Russia's court."  Alasania 
called for: a withdrawal of the additional military 
complement deployed in Abkhazia on April 30, reversal of the 
March 6 withdrawal from CIS sanctions, reversal of the April 
16 Russian Presidential Instructions and international 
inspection of the Gadauta military base.  Alasania concluded 
that Georgia had recently re-engaged the Abkhaz side, but for 
this to succeed Georgians and Abkhaz needed to avoid being 
pulled into an externally generated military provocations. 
Speaking again at the end of the session Alasania announced 
that to honor the UNOMIG report, Georgia had halted all UAV 
flights for now and asked the Security Council to consider a 
trip to Georgia in the near future. 
 
Russia: UNSC Discussion Not Objective Without Abkhaz Presence 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Russian Permrep Churkin began his intervention by 
insisting the incident covered in UNOMIG's report was solely 
a bilateral issue between Georgians and Abkhaz and could not 
be objectively discussed without the presence of an Abkhaz 
representative.  Without directly denying Russia 
responsibility, he stated that Georgian UAV flights 
constitute "a military action" and said these flights have 
been systemic and that the Abkhaz had shot down seven 
Georgian UAVs recently, three of which were mentioned in 
UNOMIG's report.  Churkin alleged that Georgia's denial of 
the loss of these other UAVs calls into questions its control 
of its own airspace system and alleged that the validity of 
Georgia's evidence should therefore be questioned.  Churkin 
said the violation of Georgia's air borders had not been 
confirmed therefore the jet could have come from anywhere and 
could even have been Georgian and that it also had not even 
been concluded what kind of plane was involved.  Churkin said 
that the Georgian government and UNOMIG should submit to 
Russia all materials used in the investigation, including 
those that were not used in UNOMIG's final report. 
 
US: Russia Should Reverse Recent Provocative Actions 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ambassador Wolff stated that UNOMIG's report on the 
downing of a UAV over Georgian territory offered evidence of 
Russia's unwillingness to respect Georgia's territorial 
integrity and sovereignty.  He noted that he had not heard 
Churkin deny the conclusions of the report regarding possible 
Russian culpability.  Wolff stressed the report dealt with 
two issues that were of an entirely different magnitude.  One 
issue was Georgia's use of UAVs that UNOMIG had determined to 
be a violation of the Moscow Agreement, but regarding which 
the Moscow Agreement is in fact unclear at best as it makes 
no mention of UAVs.  The second much more serious issue was 
Russia's action in shooting down the UAV that had violated 
Georgia's territorial integrity and was not consistent with 
the Moscow Agreement, international law or the UN Charter. 
Wolff rejected Churkin's attempts to attack the UNOMIG report 
as invalid.  He called on Russia to reverse its recent 
provocative actions on Abkhazia that undermine the Friends' 
process and to reduce its heightened military posture in 
Abkhazia.  Wolff also called on both sides to reduce 
tensions.  In addition, Wolff recognized Georgia's restraint 
and goal of developing a peace plan in collaboration with 
Abkhaz authorities that will de-escalate military tension on 
both sides and pave the way for a political settlement. 
 
Statements By France, Belgium, China and UK 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) French Permrep Ripert said that the sovereignty and 
territorial integrity of Georgia must be protected, which all 
Security Council members had committed themselves to in UNSCR 
¶1808.  Ripert said that France opposes any use of force in 
the region.  He also noted that the EU is ready to actively 
cooperate in any investigation.  Belgian Deputy Permrep Belle 
expressed gratitude to UNOMIG for an impartial investigation 
that had produced a detailed report. He said dialogue should 
be re-launched among the parties.  Chinese Deputy Permrep Liu 
expressed support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000482  003 OF 003 
 
 
integrity.  He said that China supports dialogue between the 
parties and hopes Georgia and Russia can improve their 
relationship. 
 
¶8. (SBU) UK Permrep Sawers called the conclusions of UNOMIG's 
report "deeply troubling" and pointed out that Russia had 
raised questions but not directly denied involvement in the 
incident.  Sawers said the UK condemns any action that harms 
resolution of the conflict and particularly the use of force. 
 He said that the fact that UAV had been shot down near or 
inside of civilian airspace is particularly alarming. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The fact that a majority a Security Council members 
chose not to speak at all, following the same pattern as the 
April 23 session, is striking.  This many Security Council 
members rarely forgo their right to speak so this clearly 
reflects the hesitations of many to get between the U.S. and 
Russia. 
 
 
Wolff