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CONSEQUENCES OF THE GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN CONFRONTATION
DAVID BERDZENISHVILI,
One of the Republican Party leaders, Tbilisi
Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been made not only by the Russian President and the Russian political establishment, but also, regrettably, by the majority of the Russian citizens. Few people in Russia criticized their authorities.
The Republican Party and I regard that as annexation of the Georgian territory.
Leader of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity said that the South Ossetians needed independence in order to unite with Russia’s territory, North Ossetia. But I do not think that in the near future Russia will absorb South Ossetia. Only if Russia could calm down the West, which firmly condemns Russia’s recognition of two rebel regions of Georgia, South Ossetia could be incorporated into the Russian Federation.
As regards Abkhazia, its authorities acted as spongers: they became independent at the cost of the Ossetian lives. The military operation, which ended in Russia’s recognizing the independence of the breakaway Georgian territories, took place in South Ossetia.
Unlike Mikheil Saakashvili’s government, I have always been against using force to resolve the conflicts with the rebel regions. The moment the hostilities in South Ossetia started, the Republican Party released the statement that it was necessary to cease fire. And we will criticize the Georgian authorities reservedly until the state of emergency is cancelled.
It is important that now the Russian-speaking population is not oppressed in Georgia, but the young Georgians look on Russia as it is their bitterest enemy.
No doubt, President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has made mistakes. It is our common problem. It is a problem of the Georgian opposition and the Georgian people.
Even such a hot-tempered politician as Mikheil Saakashvili is not the main person responsible for the events in South Ossetia. Russia annexed the Georgian territory, thus having made its choice.
By saying that Mikheil Saakashvili must resign, the Kremlin helped him to remain in power, because most of Georgians supported their President.
Besides, Russia’s actions may speed up Georgia’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic organizations. The Russian authorities have worsened their relations with the USA and European countries. However, Georgia did not want to pave the way for the new cold war.
The decision on recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s independence and the Russian troops’ marching into Georgia made it clear that Russia is a dangerous country. But this is a weak country. It can turn neither into the tsar empire nor into the Soviet Union.
All the world saw the Russian soldiers and junior officers taking the Georgian inhabitants’ valuables and asking the Georgians to give them food during the armed conflict. Georgia does not feel respect for this army.
August 29, 2008
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