Translated material
“We encourage them to invite us.”
European observers are inviting themselves to Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Yesterday, Abkhaz President Sergei Bagapsh accused Georgia of launching “large-scale terrorist activities” on Abkhaz territory. Speaking at the end of an emergency meeting of the Security Council, he recalled that “the murders of citizens of Abkhazia in recent days - both representatives of law enforcement agencies and civilians - were committed by terrorists who infiltrated from the territory of Georgia.” According to Sergei Bagapsh, “what is happening is nothing more than an attempt by Georgia to tear the Gali region away from Abkhazia.”Last week, four citizens of Abkhazia were shot in the Gali region, including the head of Abkhaz military intelligence, Eduard Emin-zade . Abkhaz border guard Mancho Gogia was wounded by a grenade launcher. South Ossetian authorities also reported shelling of its border areas from Georgian territory.
The sharp deterioration of the situation in the region has become new evidence of the inability of the international community, represented primarily by the European Union, to stabilize the situation in the Caucasus. According to the plan developed by the presidents of Russia and France (the current EU chairman) Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy, European observers have been deployed in the Georgian regions bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia since October 1. Their task includes monitoring compliance with the ceasefire and monitoring the return of Georgian army units to their places of permanent deployment.
The mission is led by German diplomat 55-year-old Hans-Jörg Haber. On October 24, he held a press conference in Brussels, at which he spoke about the situation in the area of responsibility of EU observers. Ambassador Haber considered the information about the shelling of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the Georgian side exaggerated: “We carefully monitor all the information we receive, but the information about the shootings and certain Georgian armed formations seems somewhat exaggerated.” The German diplomat believes that South Ossetia and Abkhazia should “give observers time to figure it out, invite observers to their side so that they can communicate with witnesses and draw their conclusions on each specific incident.” “We want them to invite us, we encourage them to invite us,” he added. Previously, the leadership of both republics has repeatedly stated that they will not allow EU representatives to arrive on their territory, since Brussels supports Georgia and denies recognition to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
At the press conference, Hans-Jörg Haber chose his expressions as carefully as possible, so that no one would get the impression that the EU had de facto come to terms with the separation of the two rebellious republics from Georgia. He called the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia bordering Georgia “adjacent” or “neighboring” territories, and these borders themselves as “administrative”.
Even more diplomatic skill was required from Mr. Haber to clearly answer Vremya Novostey’s question about his attitude to the criticism that was voiced the other day by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergei Lavrov. “Without exaggeration, we daily draw the attention of EU representatives to the fact that in those zones where the EU observer mission is deployed, actions are regularly carried out that violate the agreements recorded in the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan,” said the head of Russian diplomacy. “The Georgian side does not fulfill its obligations to return its troops to their places of permanent deployment; they periodically send special forces and other armed formations to the zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.” “Let’s not forget that the EU acts as a guarantor of the non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and such a light attitude towards what is happening in these zones around South Ossetia and Abkhazia alarms us. This is a dangerous game with fire,” warned Sergei Lavrov.
In response, Hans-Jörg Haber again returned to the favorite pastime of EU officials - a free interpretation of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan in the part that concerns the obligations of the Georgian side, primarily the point regarding the withdrawal of its formations. The Vremya Novostey correspondent asked Ambassador Haber three times to formulate his answer so that its meaning could be understood. In the third clarification, he sounded like this: “We understand the fourth point of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan as a measure to curb atrocities. “We are in the process of convincing ourselves that the diplomatic guarantees that the EU gave through President Sarkozy to President Medvedev are respected, that the Georgians do not use force at the administrative borders.” As for the activity of the Georgian armed formations mentioned by Sergei Lavrov, Hans-Jörg Haber stated that “they are lightly armed, they do not move in armed vehicles, these are police forces,” and their number is “adequate to the work being performed.”
“The interpretation of the fourth point of the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement only confirms our worst fears. The EU, acting as a guarantor of peace, is in fact shirking its promises. Partial implementation of the plan does not guarantee settlement, stabilization, and will not allow relapses to be avoided,” this is how Russian Permanent Representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin commented to VN on Ambassador Haber’s statements. “Alas, no one except Russia guarantees peace in the Caucasus,” our interlocutor emphasized.