Cablegate: Estonia: Russia Will Not Recognize an Independent

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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTL #0072 0531250
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221250Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0511
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TALLINN 000072

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

FOR EUR/NB KATHERINE GARRY

E.O. 12958
TAGS: PREL PGOV RS GG EN
SUBJECT: ESTONIA: RUSSIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE AN INDEPENDENT
ABKHAZIA

REF: STATE 14840

1. (SBU) On February 14, Poloff met with Simmu Tiik,
Director General of the 3rd Political Department (Russia)
and Toomas Tirs, Georgia Desk Officer, at the Estonian MFA
to discuss reftel points. Tiik said, based on recent
statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavarov, he
does not think Russia will recognize Abkhazia in the short
term. Tiik hypothesized that the GOR might instead
encourage Abkhazia to declare independence and then Russia
would take certain steps toward de facto recognition. In
fact, Tiik pointed out, Russia already has extended
diplomatic protocol to Abkhazian officials visiting Moscow
and applies different border regimes to Abkhazia and the
rest of Georgia. Enhancing these existing policies would
constitute a de facto recognition.

PHILLIPS

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