VZCZCXRO0934
PP RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHRK #0173 2271722
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 141722Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3764
INFO RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0250
RUEHXP/ALL NATO POST COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L REYKJAVIK 000173 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12985:  DECL:  08/14/2018 
TAGS: MOPS PREL PHUM NATO UN GG RS IC
SUBJECT: TFGG01: ICELAND ON RUSSIAN ACTIVITIES IN GEORGIA 
 
REF:  State 87254 
 
Classified by Ambassador Carol van Voorst for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) In discussion of the current situation in Georgia with 
Political Director Greta Gunnarsdottir, the highest available MFA 
official, the Ambassador urged August 14 that Iceland press Russia to 
take the necessary steps detailed in reftel. Gunnarsdottir will raise 
the message with the Foreign Minister asap. In response to the 
Ambassador's questions, Gunnarsdottir offered following observations: 
 
- Humanitarian aid: Iceland was specifically asked for and will 
provide "very quickly" an information officer to work for UNICEF in 
Georgia. The government is considering other humanitarian 
contributions, but has as yet reached no specific decisions. 
Ambassador detailed U.S. contributions and pressed for a speedy and 
positive decision to help meet the increasing humanitarian needs of 
the region. 
 
- NAC Meeting August 19 in Brussels: Foreign Minister Ingibjorg 
Solrun Gisladottir will attend, accompanied by Amb. Thorir Ibsen, MFA 
head of NATO affairs. 
 
- Icelandic-Russian contacts: Iceland has not approached Russia 
bilaterally on Georgia developments, preferring to deal with the 
subject in multilateral fora. Ambassador made the case for direct 
bilateral engagement, noting that Iceland does have an Embassy in 
Moscow and that the Russian ambassador in Reykjavik has made 
intemperate and misleading remarks to the press concerning Georgia's 
leadership and regional intentions. (Note: We understand that the MFA 
had considered but decided not to call in the Russian ambassador.) 
 
¶2. (C) Ambassador has requested a meeting with Permanent Secretary 
Gretar Mar Sigurdsson, Gunnarsdottir's boss, on his return from leave 
next week to raise Iceland's uninspiring stance in the recent NAC 
meetings on Georgia. Although we suspect the GOI is trying to avoid 
irritating the Russians in advance of the October vote on Iceland's 
bid for a UNSC seat, we want to point out that stepping up in a 
necessary cause is the type of behavior the U.S. looks for in a UNSC 
member. 
 
van Voorst