News & Press-Releases
THE EMBASSY
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
IN THE UNION OF MYANMAR
PRESS RELEASE
Statement by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Russia has recognized the independence of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia, mindful of its responsibility for ensuring the survival of
their fraternal peoples in the face of aggressive, chauvinistic
policy pursued by Tbilisi.
That policy is based on the slogan "Georgia for Georgians" advanced
in 1989 by Zviad Gamsakhurdia who tried to implement it in 1992 by
abolishing the autonomies in the Georgian territory and ordering
Georgian troops to take Sukhum and Tskhinval with a view to
enforcing unlawful practices. It was as early as then, that South
Ossetia was subjected to genocide. Ossetians fell victim to
slaughter and mass expulsion.
Due to self-sacrificing actions by the peoples rising in revolt
against the aggressor and efforts undertaken by Russia, it became
possible to stop the bloodshed, to negotiate a cease.fire and to
establish mechanisms to maintain peace and to address all aspects of
the settlement.
Peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia and Abkhazia were created,
respectively, in 1992 and 1994, along with the institutional
infrastructure to facilitate, with Russia's mediation, confidence
building, social and economic rehabilitation and the solution of
issues related to political status. Those steps were supported by
the UN and the OSCE which got involved in the work of the relevant
mechanisms and sent their observers to the zones of conflict.
In spite of certain difficulties, peacekeeping and negotiating
mechanisms did work helping to bridge positions and to achieve
concrete agreements.
However, prospects for settlement which was already in sight were
ruined when, at the end of 2003, the political power in Georgia was
taken, by way of revolution, by Mikhail Saakashvili who immediately
started to threaten to use force to solve the South Ossetia and
Abkhazia problems.
In May 2004, special forces and troops of the Internal Ministry of
Georgia were deployed in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict,
and in August that year Georgian troops shelled Tskhinval and tried
to take it. With active mediation of Russia, the then Prime Minister
of Georgia Zurab Zhvania and the leader of South Ossetia Eduard
Kokoity signed a cease.fire protocol and, in November 2004, a
document on ways to normalize relations in a step.by.step manner.
After the mysterious death, in February 2005, of Zurab Zhvania, who
was a sensible politician, Mikhail Saakashvili categorically
rejected all the previously achieved agreements.
That was also the case with regard to the Abkhazian settlement on
the basis of the Cease.Fire and Disengagement Agreement signed in
Moscow on May 14, 1994. In accordance with the Agreement, collective
peacekeeping forces were deployed in the zone of the
Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. In addition, the UN Observer Mission in
Georgia and the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary General on
Georgia were established.
Having brought, in 2006, the Georgian military contingent into the
Upper Kodori in violation of all the UN agreements and decisions,
Mikhail Saakashvili disrupted the emerging progress in the
settlement process within these mechanisms, including the
implementation of the agreements of March 2003 between Vladimir
Putin and Eduard Shevardnadze on joint efforts to bring back
refugees and establish the railway communication between Sochi and
Tbilisi.
Mikhail Saakashvili continued to overtly ignore Georgia's
commitments and arrangements within the UN and OSCE and established
puppet administrative institutions for Abkhazia and South Ossetia so
as to drive the final nail into the coffin of the negotiating
process.
All years of Mikhail Saakashivili's rule were marked by his absolute
inability to negotiate, continuous provocations and staged incidents
in the conflict areas, attacks against Russian peacekeepers,
disparaging attitude towards democratically elected leaders of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Since the outbreak of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in
early 1990s, as a result of Tbilisi actions, Russia has been doing
its utmost to contribute to their settlement on the basis of
recognition of the territorial integrity of Georgia. Russia has
taken this position despite the fact that the proclamation by
Georgia of its independence violated the right of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia to self-determination. In accordance with the Law of the
USSR "On the procedure for addressing the issues related to the
secession of a Union's Republic", autonomous entities that formed
part of Union's Republics were entitled to resolve themselves the
issues of their stay within the Union and their state legal status
in case of the secession of the Republic. Georgia prevented Abkhazia
and South Ossetia from exercising that right.
Nevertheless, Russia consistently followed its policy, performed its
peacekeeping and mediating functions in good faith, sought to
contribute to attaining peace agreements, showed restraint and
patience in case of provocations. Our positions remained intact even
after the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo.
By the aggressive attack against South Ossetia on the night of 8
August 2008, which resulted in numerous human losses, including
among the peacekeepers and other Russian citizens, and by the
preparation of a similar action against Abkhazia, Mikhail
Saakashivili has himself put paid to the territorial integrity of
Georgia. Using repeatedly brutal military force against the peoples,
whom, according to his words, he would like to see within his State,
Mikhail Saakashvili left them no other choice but to ensure their
security and the right to exist through self-determination as
independent States.
It is hardly possible that Mikhail Saakashvili did not realize the
consequences with which an attempt to resolve the Abkhaz and South
Ossetian conflicts by force was fraught. As early as in February
2006, he said in an interview: “I will never give an order to start
a military operation. I do not want people to die since blood in the
Caucasus means blood not even for decades but for centuries”. Thus,
he knew what he was doing.
One should not forget about the role of those who have been
conniving all those years with the military regime of Mikhail
Saakashvili, who have been supplying offensive weapons to him in
violation of OSCE and EU rules, who have been discouraging him from
assuming obligations not to use force, who have been fostering a
feeling of impunity in him, inter alia, as regards his authoritarian
actions aimed at stamping out dissent in Georgia. We know that at
some stage the external patrons of Mikhail Saakashvili tried to
prevent him from reckless military adventures; however it is obvious
that he completely went out of control. We are concerned about the
fact that some failed to draw objective conclusions from the
aggression. The vague hopes for the implementation of the joint
initiative of the Presidents of Russia and France of August 12,
2008, soon vanished into thin air when Tbilisi actually rejected
this initiative and the advocates of Mikhail Saakashvili did his
bidding. What is more, the USA and some European states promise
Mikhail Saakashvili protection of NATO, call for rearming the
Tbilisi regime and even start to deliver new shipments of weapons.
This is an overt invitation to new reckless ventures.
Taking into account the appeals of South Ossetian and Abkhaz
peoples, of the Parliaments and Presidents of both Republics, the
opinion of the Russian people and both Chambers of the Federal
Assembly the President of the Russian Federation decided to
recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and to
conclude treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance
with them.
Making this decision, Russia was guided by the provisions of the
Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act and other
fundamental international instruments, including the 1970
Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly
Relations among States. It should be noted that in accordance with
the Declaration, every State has the duty to refrain from any
forcible action which deprives peoples of their right to
self-determination and freedom and independence, to adhere in their
activities to the principle of equal rights and self-determination
of peoples, and to possess a government representing the whole
people belonging to the territory. There is no doubt that Mikhail
Saakashvili's regime is far from meeting those high standards set by
the international community.
Russia has sincere good and friendly feelings towards the Georgian
people, and is confident that Georgia will eventually find worthy
leaders who would be able to show proper concern over their country
and develop mutually respectful, equal, and good-neighbourly
relations with all the peoples of the Caucasus. Russia will stand
ready to contribute to this in every way.
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