Translated material
Saakashvili cast his vote
Georgia seeks understanding from the West
Yesterday, Georgia, in the form of an ultimatum, demanded that Russia cancel the decisions taken the day before in support of Abkhazia and South Ossetia . President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a government meeting that he “expects and demands” from Moscow to reconsider positions that “violate the sovereignty of Georgia.” The Georgian president has already secured Western support. To do this, he had to sacrifice his voice - Saakashvili told the ministers that he was hoarse, having spent the whole day in telephone conversations.The atmosphere of the meeting was dramatic. First, Foreign Minister David Bakradze reported to the head of state about the work done. He reported on the support received from international organizations. Tbilisi demanded that a meeting of the Security Council be convened, and that the issue of Russian assistance to “separatist regimes” be separately considered in NATO and OSCE formats. Whether a UN Security Council meeting will be convened will become known, according to the minister, only on Friday night. As for the OSCE, as Bakradze noted, the discussion can be held within the framework of the “Berlin mechanism” developed in 1991, when “a state that complains about another state encroaching on its sovereignty can convene such a meeting, and its participants demand arguments and responses from a country encroaching on foreign territory.”
The President was pleased with the “unprecedented” sympathy of the international community. According to him, Moscow’s hopes that the world would “swallow” its “provocative” actions did not materialize. Saakashvili did not give his vote in vain. After telephone conversations between the President of Georgia and the High Commissioner for Common Foreign and External Security Policy Javier Solana, the European Union confirmed its support for the integrity of Georgia and expressed concern about Moscow’s decisions. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that “Russia’s actions undermine Georgia’s sovereignty.” US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack assured Georgia of “unwavering support for territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
To consolidate the success, Saakashvili decided to send emissaries around the world. David Bakradze is heading to the USA the other day. Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze arrives in Europe today. First of all, he will visit Germany and France - countries that take into account the Russian position and are skeptical about Georgia's desire to quickly integrate into NATO. “We need serious action, not just words, from our partners in the coming days and weeks,” Saakashvili said. Georgia announced its readiness to consult with Russia itself, but not to the detriment of its sovereignty.
“Russia is following the path of actual annexation of the internationally recognized inalienable territories of Georgia - Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry told Vremya Novostey. The Foreign Ministry called on the UN, EU, OSCE, NATO, the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary General for Georgia (France, Great Britain, USA, Russia, Germany), the CIS and the entire international community “to use their existing capabilities to stop the process of encroachment on the state unity of Georgia, which Russia started."
In a statement, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that “Russia is trying to justify its actions in relation to conflict zones by “concern for the population of these regions and the interests of Russian citizens.” This attempt is allegedly very similar to the events of the 1930s, when “totalitarian regimes, motivated by a similar cause, occupied sovereign states.” “The analogies with how Hitler’s Germany acted in those years are obvious,” Shota Malashkhia, chairman of the parliamentary commission on restoring the territorial integrity of Georgia, told VN.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry stated that the intention of the Russian Foreign Ministry to carry out consular functions in unrecognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia violates a number of European conventions and CIS documents: “With this decision, Russia openly creates a threat to Georgian statehood and its sovereignty, and aims to begin the process of full-scale annexation of these territories of Georgia.” The diplomatic department believes that Russia's actions are determined by the desire to prevent Georgia from getting closer to the North Atlantic Alliance.
“I have the impression that Russia benefited most from the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. Moscow is clearly showing: does Georgia want to join NATO? Then without Abkhazia and South Ossetia!” - Tbilisi political scientist Giorgi Khukhashvili told VN. According to the expert, “the West has practically no resources left to prevent such a development of events, and the process of disintegration of Georgia may become irreversible.” And at this stage, Russia will be able to offer Georgia an alternative: “either integrate not into the European, but into the Russian space, or lose territories.”
“Russia is behaving unpleasantly, but this has Kosovo themes. But Saakashvili has no need to stir up anti-Russian sentiments; he himself is largely to blame,” Akaki Asatiani, chairman of the opposition Union of Georgian Traditionalists, told VN. “For four years, he made only threats against Abkhazia and South Ossetia.” According to our interlocutor, Georgia needs to “talk frankly with Russia: return Abkhazia and South Ossetia to us, then we will think about neutrality. Barter, roughly speaking. The West will not return Abkhazia and South Ossetia to us!”
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots Alexei Ostrovsky considered Georgia’s reproaches unfounded: “I would like to answer Mr. Saakashvili with a popular Russian proverb: “It’s too late to drink Borjomi when your kidneys have failed.” Mr. Saakashvili had a lot of time during his first presidential term to try to normalize relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, instead, he gave instructions on regular military provocations against them, which only aggravated the situation and pushed Russia to more actively protect its citizens living on the territory of these republics.”
Deputy Speaker of the Russian State Duma Yuri Volkov spoke in favor of Russia recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia no later than next spring. According to him, it is planned to hold an anniversary NATO summit in the spring of 2009, which will be directly related to the fate of Georgia and Ukraine, which are seeking entry into the alliance. “Since the leaders of these countries are unlikely to change their desire to fall under the NATO umbrella, Russia will have to either come to terms with being closely surrounded by the alliance’s military bases, as well as the absorption of some post-Soviet countries by regimes unfriendly to us, or forestall this dangerous plan,” he said. Mr. Volkov admitted that the decision on the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia would be “difficult” for Russia.