US embassy cable - 05THEHAGUE362

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000362 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, GG, EU, NL 
SUBJECT: DUTCH MFA ON GEORGIA BORDER MONITORING OPERATION 
 
REF: STATE 21669 
 
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ANDREW SCHOFER FOR REA 
SONS 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
(C) PolOff conveyed reftel points to Dutch MFA OSCE Desk 
Officer Mark Versteden on February 7.  Versteden said the 
GONL's view was similar to the U.S. position and shared the 
substance of MFA's instructions to the Dutch EU Mission for 
the February 8 PSC Meeting.  The Dutch also support a 
continued international presence on the Russia-Georgia 
border.  Their first choice would be to see a continuation of 
the OSCE's Georgia BMO but Versteden acknowledged this was 
"almost impossible," so they are prepared to explore 
alternatives.  The Dutch would like to have a fact-finding 
mission, ideally from the OSCE, sent to the area.  Versteden 
conceded this would likely face the same Russian objections 
as the BMO itself.  If an OSCE fact-finding mission were not 
possible, then perhaps an EU mission could be sent.  The 
Dutch hope that deploying an EU mission might be enough to 
get the Russians to drop their objection to renewing the OSCE 
BMO.  Versteden also said that as a last resort, the GONL was 
willing to explore options for a "coalition of the willing," 
but agrees with the U.S. as to the disadvantages of such an 
approach. 
SOBEL