Translated material
Final conclusion
The State Duma ratified agreements on Russian military bases in Georgia
On Friday, State Duma deputies decided that it was not yet worthwhile to include Transnistria into Russia, and that it was no longer worthwhile to maintain Russian military bases in Georgia.The foreign policy activity of the State Duma usually does not attract much attention - the lower house of parliament does not have the authority to make decisions that have any impact on the country's foreign policy. However, on Friday the Duma had to consider two very sensitive foreign policy issues - to adopt a statement on the referendum in Transnistria (which voted for independence with subsequent annexation to Russia) and to ratify treaties on the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia.
As a result, the State Duma called on the world community to simply take into account the results of the referendum in Transnistria “for the sake of ensuring human rights, peace and security in this region and a fair resolution of the Transnistrian conflict.”
“The referendum in Transnistria was held in full compliance with international legal norms and the legislation of the republic,” the document says. Presenting the draft statement, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots Sergei Antufiev reminded deputies that the referendum in Transnistria was observed by 196 representatives of 22 states. Among them were six State Duma deputies. “No serious violations were discovered during the voting,” Mr. Antufiev said. According to the Central Election Commission of Transnistria, 78.6% of voters took part in the referendum held on September 17. At the same time, 97.1% of voters were in favor of the independence of Transnistria and subsequent annexation to Russia. Only 1.9% were in favor of unification with Moldova.
According to the authors of the document, Russia must also take into account the will of the residents of Transnistria when building its policy. Therefore, according to the deputies, the Russian authorities should help improve the economic situation of Transnistria, and therefore lift the economic blockade of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and fully provide for the units of the Russian army and the Russian peacekeeping contingent located there. At the same time, deputies were afraid to give the executive branch a direct recommendation to accept Transnistria into Russia or even simply recognize the independence of the PMR.
The State Duma also ratified two Russian-Georgian agreements - on the organization of the transit of military cargo and personnel through the territory of Georgia, as well as on the timing, procedure for the temporary operation and withdrawal of Russian military bases and other military facilities of the Group of Russian Forces in Transcaucasia (GRVZ), located on the territory Georgia. Both agreements were signed in Sochi on March 31, 2006, and the Georgian parliament ratified them without delay - in April.
The first agreement secures Russia's obligation not to transfer military cargo transiting through Georgian territory to a third party. Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Alexander Skvortsov took part in the discussion. “In the current situation (sharp aggravation of relations with Georgia and its transport blockade by Russia. - Ed ). we are looking for safe and backup routes,” he said.
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces Alexei Maslov called on deputies to ratify both documents. “After the new leadership came to power in Georgia, the situation around Russian military bases worsened even more, and we got a situation where these bases are located on the territory of an unfriendly state with a pronounced anti-Russian vector. Given these new political realities, the location of our military bases there lost all meaning,” explained Mr. Maslov. The deputies listened to him.