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RUSSIA AND THE CAUCASUS KNOT: PROSPECTS FOR A SOVEREIGNTY PARADE
DMIRTY MEDOEV, VLADIMIR KHOMERIKI, MIKHAIL ALEKSANDROV,
Moscow
Dmitry MEDOEV, Plenipotentiary Representative of South Ossetia in Russia
After the recognition of Kosovo, South Ossetia’s position remains unchanged. When asked about our attitude to that precedent we have always answered that it is South Ossetia that can be a de jure precedent for Kosovo, not vice versa. For us Kosovo’s recognition changes nothing.
Strengthening of the government branches, economy and defense and improvement of well-being of the people are of the greatest importance to South Ossetia, which has been an independent state since 1990 and has been building its life according to its Constitution and its people’s will.
I share the opinion that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are recognized states.
There are several agreements. This is an agreement dated September 1993 “On further development of the process of peaceful settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and the Joint Control Commission”. The agreement was drawn up as an international document signed by Georgia, the Russian Federation, South Ossetia and North Ossetia. This agreement was signed by the OSCE representatives. There are also other documents, bilateral and multilateral memoranda. By the way, the Sochi agreements, according to which the peacemaking forces were brought into the area of Georgian-Ossetian conflict, are also international agreements visaed by North and South Ossetia.
We have never considered the recognition to be an end in itself. We know dozens of UN member countries that de facto are failed states. They have failed to control their own territories or their greater parts, do not have armies. In our case, we do not want the status to hollowly meet the interests of the countries that have nothing to do with our region.
I would remind you that in December 2006 in South Ossetia the referendum about development of the entire process of the state building was held. The only question, which was submitted to the referendum, concerned the republic’s independence. It was important for us to be supported by the republic’s young citizens, who had grown up during the conflict. The referendum indicated that not only the republic’s President and his entourage needed independence.
It is logical that Russia has initiated the hearings in the State Duma of the Russian Federation on the unrecognized republics. Thereby Russia is going to work out its position on this issue. I believe that the hearings will not put an end to the process. It is possible that the joint meeting of several committees must be held in order to submit the observations on these issues to the Council and the meeting of the State Duma. Our delegation took part in the hearings at the level of Vice-Speakers of South Ossetia’s Parliament. We would like to show the conflict’s sources and development, why South Ossetia decided to fight for its independence.
Vladimir KHOMERIKI, Head of the “Unity of the Russian and Georgian peoples” Foundation
I agree with Russia’s leaders saying that Georgia’s territorial integrity must be recognized within the country’s official state frontier. The whole world including Russia recognizes Georgia with the current border.
I do not back Georgia’s government who does its utmost to worsen the relations with Russia. But I am a patriot of Georgia. Georgia should be an integral state. Abkhazia and South Ossetia should have the broadest autonomy, which Russia should be the first to guarantee. I think that if Russia’s relations with Georgia are improved, its military bases in Abkhazia can continue being located there.
Russia itself is interested above all in Georgia's integrity and in well-being of the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia who are the Russian citizens. I welcome Moscow’s lifting the economic sanctions that it imposed on Abkhazia previously. But Russia should be consistent and also lift the sanctions that it imposed on the fraternal Georgian people in 2006.
Georgia’s big mistake is that it does not sign the treaty on non-use of force. Georgia must sign it and come to terms with the other parties during the negotiations.
I believe that if Russia continues to act correctly, those peoples will make compromises with each other, which will be guaranteed by Russia.
Mikhail ALEKSANDROV, Head of the Caucasus Studies Department, the Institute of the CIS Countries
I would like to say that the hearings in the State Duma on the unrecognized republics were a turning point. Those hearings had been prepared before the Kosovo precedent. It was good to see our authorities react to the hearings so quickly and lift their sanctions imposed on Abkhazia.
The State Duma is preparing recommendations for the government. The draft recommendations have already been made out. They will be amended depending on the views of the MPs and the executive officials. The raising of the unrecognized countries’ status and heightening of the cooperation level will be discussed.
In my opinion, now the formal recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is out of the question. There are a number of reasons for that. It would be illogical to come out against the Kosovo precedent and, at the same time, to recognize Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria.
Another consideration is that Georgia is a member of the CIS where there is certain solidarity. Georgia ceased to stick to the CIS principles long ago, but if we recognize independence of the territories which the CIS believes to belong to Georgia, it will be a serious affront for the other CIS countries.
So, the so-called Taiwan scenario is most likely to develop. It implies all of the economic, political and military contacts without formal recognition of independence. It is possible that some missions will be established. For example, the EU has trade mission in Taiwan. The USA has an institute which performs the consular and trade functions there.
At present this formula is quite acceptable. It will develop while Georgia is the CIS member. But Georgia works towards joining NATO. However it is impossible to be part of NATO and the CIS simultaneously. Georgia will have to withdraw from the CIS. If that happens, Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be recognized immediately, the defense agreements will be concluded and our troops will be brought into those republics to prevent Georgia from launching military operations.
Georgia’s authorities must decide what is of more importance to them – NATO membership or territorial integrity.
The material is based on Dmitry MEDOEV, Vladimir KHOMERIKI and Mikhail ALEKSANDOV’s addresses to the discussion “Russia and the Caucasus knot: prospects for a sovereignty parade” organized by Rosbalt Information Agency on March 12, 2008.
March 17, 2008
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