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DE RUCNDT #0140 0450051
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 140051Z FEB 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5859
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC RS GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UNOMIG MANDATE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 13453 
 
¶1. The Security Council unanimously adopted an extension of 
the UNOMIG mandate until June 15, 2009 in a short meeting on 
February 13, 2009 (Res. 1866, see reftel for resolution 
text).  Prior to the adoption, the Council held brief 
consultations and agreed that the resolution would be a 
presidential text, meaning that all 15 members would jointly 
sponsor the resolution.  Council members also agreed in 
consultations that there would be no explanations of vote 
given after the adoption and that representatives from 
Georgia and Germany would be permitted to participate in the 
session. 
 
¶2. In comments to the press after the session, Georgian 
Permrep Alexander Lomaia praised the call for the security 
zones to be respected and called for Russian forces to 
withdraw from the 12 kilometer and 24 kilometer zones as a 
first step toward Russia's full withdrawal from Georgian 
territory.  He criticized Russia's actions to construct 
military bases in Abkhazia as a violation of Georgia's 
sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as 
international law. 
 
¶3. Russian PermRep Vitaly Churkin pointed to the "expressed 
acceptance" by Abkhaz de facto leaders for the UN to operate 
in Abkhazia as a prerequisite to adoption of the resolution. 
He characterized this as a key factor in the Council's 
decision to extend the mandate.  Churkin welcomed the August 
12 and September 8 agreements, and pointed to references in 
the resolution related to the use of force as a possible 
first step toward a Georgian signature on a non-use of force 
agreement.  Churkin said the resolution was "more than just a 
technical extension", adding that it emphasized the need for 
talks to continue in Geneva and expressed the intention of 
the Council to redefine the mandate "taking into 
consideration the facts on the ground."  He said Georgia had 
"unilaterally walked out of the Moscow Agreement" and that 
the Council had reinstated paragraph 2(a) of the agreement on 
the understanding that a thorough revision of the security 
zones would be a later step.  In response to a question, 
Churkin said that there is no mention of the sovereignty and 
territorial integrity of Georgia in the resolution, which, he 
said, would have been unacceptable to Russia. 
 
¶4. Churkin said there was "nothing wrong with having Russian 
bases in Abkhazia" as part of Russia's effort to protect the 
Abkhaz people just as the EU presence is crucial in the 
adjacent zones (in Georgia proper).  Asked whether he was 
disappointed that Abkhaz leaders had not participated in the 
Council session, Churkin said, "they did not ask to come this 
time." 
 
¶5. U.K. Permrep Sawers emphasized four points in his press 
comments. First, he said, the resolution does emphasize 
Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity due to its 
specific reference to Resolution 1808.  Second, the 
resolution reinstated the security and restricted weapons 
zones that had existed under paragraph 2(a) of the Moscow 
Agreement.  Third, it calls on all parties to facilitate the 
provision of humanitarian assistance and the return of IDPs. 
And fourth, he said, it points to the Geneva process as the 
forum for discussion of more durable security arrangements. 
 
¶6. Ambassador DiCarlo emphasized to reporters that the 
reference to resolution 1808 and previous resolutions 
underscored the Council's commitment to Georgia's sovereignty 
and territorial integrity.  She cited the references to the 
August 12, 2008 and September 8, 2008 cease-fire agreements 
and pointed out that all parties committed in the agreements 
not to use force and to withdraw their military forces to the 
pre-August 8, 2008 positions. DiCarlo also said that 
Resolution 1866 reinforced the Geneva process, and that 
decisions on a revised UN mandate would be guided by the 
recommendations of the Secretary-General and by the 
discussions in Geneva.  DiCarlo said that the resolution had 
taken note of the Secretary-General's recommendations for 
certain aspects of the Moscow Agreement to be respected by 
all parties and had included the security zones in paragraph 
2(a) of the Agreement.  In response to a question on Russian 
bases in Abkhazia, Ambassador DiCarlo referred to the 
Department's previous statement that the bases would be a 
violation of Russia's August 12 and September 8 commitments. 
Rice