VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0682/01 2122329
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 302329Z JUL 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4710

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000682 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UN UNMIK UNOMIG CY GG MK
SUBJECT: A/S FRIED'S JULY 29 MEETING WITH UN 
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL LYNN PASCOE ON CYPRUS, GEORGIA, 
KOSOVO, AND MACEDONIA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff for reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: EUR Assistant Secretary Fried told 
Under-Secretary General Pascoe July 29 that the Russians have 
slowed negotiations to stabilize the Abkhazia situation on 
basis of the German-drafted Friends of Georgia paper and 
there is a real possibility of an outbreak of hostilities. 
Pascoe said the Secretary-General would soon name a Belgian 
(Verbeke) to be his new Special Representative in Georgia. 
Fried and Pascoe agreed that the UN-EU transition in Kosovo 
should be rapid.  Pascoe noted that the UN's new envoy in 
Cyprus was selected for his political skill and noted that 
the UN would be happy to work with a U.S. envoy should one be 
named.  Fried reviewed the Macedonia name change issue and 
noted that the two parties are not very far apart, hostile 
rhetoric notwithstanding.  If the political will could be 
found, a solution was possible soon.  End summary. 
 
Georgia 
------- 
 
¶2. (C) EUR Assistant Secretary Fried provided UN 
Under-Secretary-General Lynn Pascoe with a briefing on 
current efforts to accelerate negotiations to stabilize and 
ultimately resolve the situation in Abkhazia.  The Western 
"Friends" (U.S., UK, France, Germany) had agreed on July 22 
to convene a Political Directors' level meeting in Berlin on 
July 31-August 1 to find a way ahead based on the 
German-drafted "Friends of Georgia" paper, including its 
proposed Phase One "non-use of force" pledge and other 
security measures (which could be based on some of the ideas 
Secretary Rice and Georgian President Saakashvili discussed 
during her visit to Tbilisi).  But Russian and Abkhaz 
reluctance has stalled the process.  The meeting has been 
postponed until the end of August.  A/S Fried noted his 
concern about a possible outbreak of hostilities in the 
region, given the two parties' propensity to provoke each 
other and Russia's habit of military attacks on Georgian 
assets.  He noted that the Secretary may decide to take up 
the issue at the Ministerial level during UNGA.  Pascoe asked 
why the UN had not been invited to Berlin; Fried replied that 
the USG would be happy to have the UN attend and we had told 
the Georgians and Germans so.  Fried recommended that the UN 
speak with the Germans. 
 
¶3. (C) Pascoe said the Secretary General will likely name 
former Belgian Permanent Representative Johan Verbeke to be 
the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General 
(SRSG) in Georgia to replace SRSG Jean Arnaud.  (Note: 
Verbeke had been assigned to be SRSG in Lebanon but was 
recalled after threats were issued against him personally by 
a local al-Qaida-affiliated group stemming from his 
chairmanship of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee.  End note) 
Pascoe noted that Verbeke's main defect is he does not speak 
Russian.  However he will have a higher profile and will not 
hesitate to call each of the sides on their missteps. 
 
Kosovo 
------ 
 
¶4. (C) A/S Fried raised the still-stalled UNMIK-EULEC 
reconfiguration in Kosovo and expressed frustration with lack 
of an agreement to date, although he did note that the 
decision to start the clock ticking was a good sign.  Pascoe 
blamed the EU for the difficulties in concluding the talks 
(e.g., the EU is claiming it cannot take over without 
adequate office space even though the UN has already vacated 
its offices for the EU mission).  Fried emphasized that the 
EU and UN negotiators need to be instructed to close, and 
that the UNMIK and EULEX teams on the ground need to make 
"local deals and get going" on the actual reconfiguration and 
process of projecting EULEC into the north.  Pascoe 
emphasized that the Secretary-General has ordered a fast 
hand-over and that he has not heard even the slightest 
indication that any UN staff are trying to do otherwise. 
 
Cyprus 
------ 
¶5. (C) U-S/G Pascoe noted that UN Special Adviser in Cyprus 
Alexander Downer was specifically selected for his political 
background to help the two parties face the difficult 
political choices ahead of them and not to construct the 
terms of an agreement which are already broadly known. 
Pascoe told Fried that a U.S. envoy on Cyprus could be 
helpful if s/he were to keep in touch with Ankara and 
Brussels, bring in senior State Department officials when 
needed, and also speak with the Greek-American community and 
keep them from blocking progress.  Pascoe stated that the UN 
would be happy to work with such an envoy. 
 
Macedonia Name Issue 
-------------------- 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) A/S Fried raised the Macedonia name issue and noted 
that the two parties are not far apart, despite the up tick 
in political posturing on both sides.  The problem was 
political will on both sides.  Pascoe agreed with the 
assessment.  Fried noted that the Macedonians could test the 
Greeks by accepting a name change.  In any event, Fried said, 
the U.S. supported UN envoy on the name issue Matt Nimetz, 
with whom he was in contact. 
Khalilzad