US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE1522

S E C R E T PRAGUE 001522 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/NCE FOR FICHTE, USNATO FOR SHEEHAN, TBILISI FOR BRINK, 
MOSCOW FOR VIGUERIE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015 
TAGS: IZ, EZ, PREL PGOV 
SUBJECT: CZECHS REQUEST U.S. INFORMATION ON GEORGIA'S 
MILITARY BUILDUP 
 
REF: A. PRAGUE 01349 
 
     B. PRAGUE 1004 
     C. IIR 6 824 0046 05 
 
Classified By: Political-Military Officer Brian Greaney 
 for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 4. 
 
2. (S) Czech MFA Director for Common Foreign and Security 
Policy Peter Kaiser Oct 19 asked Pol-Mil Off whether the 
United States could share information with the Czech MFA on 
the current effort by Georgia to build up its armed forces. 
Kaiser noted there had been a recent spike in applications 
for export licenses for military material destined for 
Georgia, but did not elaborate on the types or quantities of 
equipment covered in the requests. Kaiser said the MFA would 
like to allow Georgia to build a reasonable national military 
capability but he is keen to ensure the flow of Czech arms to 
Tbilisi does not become a trigger for instability. The 
Czechs, he said, do not have sufficient perspective on 
current Georgian military capabilities and needs to allow for 
informed decisions on arms export licenses. The Czechs intend 
to cease licensing arms shipments to Georgia at some stage, 
and Kaiser will soon make a judgment about timing the 
introduction of this new policy. The motivation for this 
decision, he said, is that "use of Czech arms in unstable 
areas of Georgia would be a disaster.8 
 
3. (S) In addition to the small quantities of U.S.-funded 
shipments of training munitions from the Czech republic to 
Georgia (Refs A and B), the Czechs appear to have sold a 
large quantity of arms to Tbilisi (Ref C). Russia has been 
publicly vocal in its opposition to further arming of Georgia 
by the Czech Republic. The GOCR is both quietly concerned by 
Russian complaints, and adamant that it wants to ensure Czech 
arms do not embolden Tbilisi to the point of initiating armed 
conflict in unstable areas. 
 
4. (S) Action request: Post requests a U.S. opinion on 
whether Georgia is sufficiently armed at this time, and 
whether a Czech cessation of arms transfers to Georgia would 
have a positive or negative effect from a U.S. perspective. 
Post also requests an assessment of Georgia's reasonable 
military needs for self-defense if such information is 
available and can be released to the GOCR. 
CABANISS