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DE RUCNDT #0117/01 0420134
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O 110134Z FEB 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5809
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000117 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON THE 
SITUATION IN GEORGIA 
 
REF: USUN 102 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  In closed consultations on February 10, 
all Security Council members except the Russian Federation 
identified a continuing need for a UN presence in Georgia, at 
least on an interim basis, which would ensure security and 
stability pending consultations on a comprehensive security 
regime between the Secretary-General and the parties.  SRSG 
Johan Verbeke emphasized that the main prerequisite for a 
successful future UN mission would be a clear security 
regime, including limits on military personnel and the 
definition of security zones on both sides of the line of 
conflict.  Verbeke said both Georgian and Abkhaz leaders 
would want a continued UN presence in Abkhazia, but they have 
different views as to its proper role.  Russian Ambassador 
Churkin did not mention the need for a continued UN presence 
during his remarks, and he urged the Council to accept the 
"new realities" that were created on the ground after the 
August 2008 conflict. In another closed consultation session 
later on February 10, France distributed a draft resolution 
as a Group of Friends agreed text.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Special Representative of the Secretary-General, 
Johan Verbeke, told the Security Council during closed 
consultations that Abkhaz and Georgian leaders had both 
expressed support for a continuation of the UN mandate in 
Georgia, albeit in different forms.  He said the Georgian 
side views the UN presence as a necessary complement to the 
EU presence, and would want a revised UN mission to engage in 
military monitoring and policing, particularly in areas of 
Abkhazia with large ethnic-Georgian populations.  Verbeke 
said his understanding was that the Georgian side wanted 
another technical rollover of UNOMIG in order to provide an 
opportunity to work out the elements of a new mandate.  He 
said that the Abkhaz de facto authorities also wanted a 
continued UN presence as a way to ensure security and 
stability in Abkhazia, but viewed a future UN presence as 
focusing more on "post-conflict" humanitarian concerns and 
working with ethnic minorities.  According to Verbeke, the 
Abkhaz and the Georgians had been close to agreement on a 
"5-sided" incident response and investigation mechanism 
(i.e., UN, EUMM, Russia, Abkhazia, Georgia) at the last 
Geneva meeting, and he hoped they would reach agreement on 
this at the upcoming February 17-18 session. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Verbeke said that the conditions for UNOMIG to carry 
out its operations were fundamentally different than they had 
been before the August 2008 conflict.  As a whole, he thought 
UNOMIG was able to execute its mandate "in a satisfactory 
manner". However, with the underlying security regime of the 
former Moscow Agreement no longer in place, the status of 
UNOMIG was, "at best, unclear".  He stressed that UNOMIG, 
which had formerly relied on CIS peacekeepers for force 
protection, was now dependent on the good will of the parties 
for their own security.  Verbeke emphasized that the most 
important prerequisite for a future mission would be a clear 
security regime, including quantitative and qualitative 
limits on military personnel, and a defined security zone. 
He thought the Security Council would want to endorse the 
elements of a new security regime, which would need to be 
worked out with the parties. In the interim, he hoped that 
the parties would adhere to the basic elements of a regime 
such as had been set out in the February 4 2009 SYG's report. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In response to Verbeke's briefing, all Security 
Council members except Russia voiced support for continuing a 
UN presence in Georgia/Abkhazia, at least on an interim 
basis, in order to maintain security and stability and to 
facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced 
persons (IDPs).  "Western Friends" members Croatia, France, 
and the United Kingdom reinforced the need to find a security 
mechanism on both sides of the cease-fire line from the 1994 
conflict.  France expressed concern at the humanitarian 
situation and mentioned the necessity of Russia and Georgia 
complying with the terms of the International Court of 
Justice ruling from October 15, 2008, regarding 
discrimination, freedom of movement, and the protection of 
property of IDPs and refugees. The United Kingdom expressed 
concern about the buildup of forces along the administrative 
border between Abkhazia and Georgia-proper, and noted the 
responsibility of the Russian Federation as an occupying 
force to protect civilian populations in Abkhazia.  Croatia 
called for a renewed UNOMIG mandate and emphasized the need 
for all parties to cooperate with the UN mission. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Rice agreed with the SRSG's assessment 
that the security situation remained volatile.  She cited the 
heavy buildup of artillery on the Abkhaz side and the 
construction of Russian fortifications.  She reinforced the 
need to maintain international monitoring on both sides of 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000117  002 OF 002 
 
 
the cease-fire line and mentioned the importance of the 
Geneva talks as the appropriate forum for all parties to 
present their views on a comprehensive security regime.  She 
also reinforced the need to address the issues of the return 
of IDPs and refugees and urged the Secretary-General to be 
vigilant in investigating reports of human rights violations. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Mexico made a strong statement in favor of keeping a 
UN presence, and said a comprehensive mandate should include 
monitoring the cease-fire, providing humanitarian assistance, 
assisting in the return of IDPs, acting as a liaison among 
the parties, preventing trafficking in persons, and 
implementing confidence building measures. Turkey called for 
an "effective, uninterrupted UN presence, at least for an 
interim period", noting that it was encouraged by the 
prospect that the "Group of Friends" would soon produce a 
consensus draft resolution. Austria mentioned humanitarian 
concerns and said an EU international human rights fact 
finding mission would soon be traveling to the region. 
Uganda supported the continuing presence of a UN mission in 
the region as well as the discussions underway in Geneva. 
Japan also reinforced the need for a continuation of the UN 
presence on an interim basis, pending discussions in Geneva 
on a more comprehensive security regime. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Council members China, Vietnam and Libya, who were 
often silent during Georgia consultations in the immediate 
aftermath of the August 2008 conflict, all voiced support for 
maintaining a UN mission on an interim basis and for 
continuing negotiations among the parties through the Geneva 
talks.  China emphasized that maintaining peace and security 
was the responsibility of "both parties", and endorsed a UN 
presence that would maintain security with the agreement of 
"all sides."  Vietnam encouraged the Secretary-General to 
continue to work with the parties to define a security 
regime, acknowledging the current difficult security 
situation. Libya reaffirmed "all initiatives" to reach a 
consensus on a revised mandate and supported the 
Secretary-General in continuing negotiations with the 
parties, despite their divergence of views on more permanent 
security arrangements. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Russian Ambassador Churkin did not mention the need 
for a continued UN presence in his remarks.  Instead, he 
criticized the SYG's report and SRSG Verbeke's briefing as 
being "imbalanced" and "biased against the events in the 
region since August 2008.  He also criticized UNOMIG for 
focusing its monitoring on the Abkhaz side of the boundary 
with Georgia, saying, "UNOMIG had 98 meetings since August 
with Abkhaz forces, but slightly more modest activity on the 
Georgian side."  Churkin cited the "new realities" that had 
been created after the August conflict, including the 
"Medvedev-Sarkozy" plan, which Russia characterized as giving 
the EU responsibility for the security of Abkhazia and South 
Ossetia.  He also said that Russian forces were in Abkhazia 
under a bilateral agreement, and that Russian armed forces 
acted as a guarantor of Abkhazia's security.  He denied that 
Russian forces were engaged in implementing any control over 
freedom of movement in Abkhazia, but allowed the possibility 
that Abkhaz forces might be involved in such activity.  He 
also conditioned facilitation for the return of "refugees" on 
an agreement from Georgia not to use force. 
 
¶9. (SBU) After further discussions among the Group of Friends 
on the elements of a resolution, France, reconvened the 
Council later in the day on February 10 in order to 
distribute the draft Security Council resolution to extend 
the UNOMIG mandate (see Reftel). 
Rice