The statement made by Zurab Abashidze, the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia, in interview to Starvision TV, in which he expresses his opinion that sooner or later Russia would call back recognition of the independence of South Ossetia, was perceived with certain irony in Tskhinval.
Having exhausted all methods that Tbilisi applied over South Ossetia - military aggression, provocative acts, propaganda pressure, frank misinformation of the international community, various tricks etc. representatives of Georgian authorities now arrived at prophecy and predictions.
Specific issues related to cooperation between Moscow and Tbilisi are considered at Karasin-Abashidze meetings, and development of ties and relations between two sovereign states - South Ossetia and Russia - isn't a subject of discussion at these meetings.
Meanwhile, the inaccuracy of Mr. Abashidze’s forecasts is obvious as recognition of independence of the Republic of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation that happened in August 2008 was a confirmation of the existing realities and a response to Georgian actions aimed at extermination of the people of South Ossetia. This step was politically verified and reasonable.
The position of flat rejection of geopolitical realities taken by Georgia doesn't give her politicians the chance to estimate soberly the progress reached in maintaining stability and security in the region that are observed after recognition of the independence of South Ossetia by Russia. In its desire to fix at the international arena the image of South Ossetia as a territory where lawlessness, kidnappings, human rights violations prosper, the official Tbilisi sometimes reaches the absurdity. This is, for example, the recent statement made by President Margvelashvili about attempts of importing radioactive materials from territory of South Ossetia to Georgia.
Similar accusations that aren’t buttressed by any facts once again confirm that Georgian authorities live in la-la-land and try to convince the international community of its existence.
As for the reality, there is a necessity to maintain security in the region, and it means that a joint work on delimitation and demarcation of the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia should be conducted and that would solve many problems that, first of all, citizens of Georgia, who live in border area on territory of South Ossetia, are facing.
Tskhinval, February 28, 2017