US embassy cable - 91MOSCOW37083

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 037083 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PGOV, US, UR 
SUBJECT:  GEORGIA -- DELIVERY OF LETTER ON 
RECOGNITION, COMMENTS ON INTERNAL SITUATION 
 
REF:  STATE 418469 
 
 
1.  (U)  DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR DELIVERED 
PRESIDENTIAL LETTER RECOGNIZING THE INDEPENDENCE OF 
GEORGIA TO GEORGIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN MOSCOW PYOTR 
PETROVICH CHIKMEIDZE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27.  SHE ALSO 
EXPLAINED THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS 
WILL BE ESTABLISHED, AND EXPRESSED U.S. DESIRE TO 
CONTINUE AN ACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF 
GEORGIA AND TO SUSTAIN CONTACTS THROUGH THE U.S. 
EMBASSY IN MOSCOW. 
 
2.  (C)  CHIKMEIDZE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE 
PRESIDENTIAL LETTER, THEN EXPRESSED POLITE DISMAY THAT 
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS REMAINED AT ISSUE.  "THINGS ARE 
VERY DIFFICULT AND COMPLICATED FOR US.  WE HAVE MADE 
MANY MISTAKES, BUT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE TALK TO 
EACH OTHER, IF YOU WOULD MAKE YOUR POINTS DIRECTLY TO 
US, RATHER THAN SCOLDING US FROM A DISTANCE," HE 
SAID.  HE ASSERTED GEORGIAN RESPECT FOR DEMOCRACY 
AND FOR THE VALUES REPRESENTED SPECIFICALLY BY 
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, AND APPEALED FOR U.S. HELP AND 
COOPERATION. 
 
3.  (C)  TURNING TO THE CURRENT SITUATION IN TBILISI, 
CHIKMEIDZE CRITICIZED THE OPPOSITION FOR "STRUGGLING 
FOR DEMOCRACY WITH MACHINE GUNS."  AT THE SAME TIME, 
HE VOLUNTEERED THAT GAMSAKHURDIYA HAD MADE MANY 
MISTAKES, AND IMPLIED PERSONAL DOUBT AS TO WHETHER 
GAMSAKHURDIYA SHOULD ATTEMPT TO STAY ON.  ACCORDING TO 
CHIKMEIDZE, GAMSAKHURDIYA HAD BEEN OFFERED SAFE 
PASSAGE OUT OF THE COUNTRY EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND HAD 
INITIALLY AGREED TO THIS.  HIS ADVISORS, HOWEVER, WHOM 
CHIKMEIDZE DESCIBED AS "THE WOMEN AROUND HIM," OPPOSED 
THIS, AND CONVINCED HIM OUT OF IT.  CHIKMEIDZE ALSO 
POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE TUNNELS LEADING FROM THE 
GOVERNMENT BUILDING INTO THE HILLS SURROUNDING THE 
CITY;  HE ASSUMES THAT THE OPPOSITION IS ALSO AWARE OF 
THESE POTENTIAL ACCESS/ESCAPE ROUTES. 
 
4.  (C)  ACCORDING TO CHIKMEIDZE, THE ARMED OPPOSITION 
STORMED THE FORMER KGB PRISON IN TBILISI AND HAS FREED 
OPPOSITION FIGURES CHANTURIYA AND YOSELYANI, AMONG 
OTHERS. (THIS HAS SINCE BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE MEDIA.) 
 
5.  (C)  CONCERNING GEORGIA'S POSSIBLE PLACE IN THE 
COMMONWEALTH, CHIKMEIDZE SAID THAT GAMSAKHURDIYA 
FAVORS GEORGIAN MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMONWEALTH, AND 
THAT IF HE SURVIVES THE CURRENT STRUGGLE GEORGIA WILL 
JOIN THE COMMONWEALTH.  MANY OTHERS OPPOSE THIS MOVE, 
HOWEVER, ARGUING THAT THE COMMONWEALTH WILL NOT WORK 
AND THEY DO NOT WISH TO GET INVOLVED IN A FAILING 
EFFORT.  PROPONENTS OF THIS VIEW ACCOUNTED FOR 
GEORGIA'S POSITION AT THE ALMA-ATA MEETING. 
NONETHELESS, CHIKMEIDZE SUPPORTED INVOLVEMENT IN THE 
COMMONWEALTH FOR WHAT BENEFITS MIGHT COME OF IT, AND 
EXPECTS THAT GEORGIA WILL EVENTUALLY JOIN THE GROUPING 
REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME OF THE CURRENT POWER 
STRUGGLE IN TBILISI. 
 
 
COLLINS