VZCZCXYZ0009
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVL #0666 2251516
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 121516Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY VILNIUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2653
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI IMMEDIATE 0076

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000666 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018 
TAGS: PREL XG GG LH
SUBJECT: TFGG01: LITHUANIA TO PUSH EU VISA FACILITATION FOR 
GEORGIANS 
 
REF: STATE 86108 
 
Classified By: CDA Damian R. Leader for reasons 1...

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000666 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2018 TAGS: PREL XG GG LH
SUBJECT: TFGG01: LITHUANIA TO PUSH EU VISA FACILITATION FOR GEORGIANS REF: STATE 86108 
Classified By: CDA Damian R. Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1. (C) Post shared reftel points August 12 with MFA Director of Transatlantic Cooperation and Security Policy Vytautas Leskevicius who said FM Vaitiekunas expects to brief his EU counterparts at the August 13 GAERC on what he witnessed in Georgia August 10-11 and invite them to go to Tbilisi themselves to "form a human shield" to help prevent further Russian aggression. Leskevicius said Lithuania favors suspension of post-PCA and visa facilitation negotiations with the Russians and commencement of visa facilitation negotiations with the Georgians. He also said Vaitiekunas might raise the possibility of deploying the EU Rapid Reaction Force to Georgia. The latter was publicly supported by the parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee August 12. 

¶2. (C) Leskevicius said Lithuania was pleased by Ukrainian President Yushchenko's decision to join the group of Presidents expected to arrive in Tbilisi August 12. He also shared Lithuanian hopes that the situation in Georgia will solidify the internal Ukrainian discussion in favor of closer ties to the West and NATO. Leskevicius said French President Sarkozy will meet with the group of Presidents August 13 in Tbilisi (after Sarkozy's August 12 trip to Moscow). 

¶3. (U) In Vilnius, the Russian Embassy has been a venue for various protests both on August 11 and 12, the latter organized by the Conservative Party together with members of the Georgian community. A larger rally is expected August 13 in Cathedral square, a popular venue in the old city for public events. A peaceful group of about half a dozen pro-Georgia protesters gathered at lunch time outside the U.S. Embassy August 12 urging the United States to do more for Georgia. The group dispersed after about 30 minutes. LEADER