On 7 of October 2011 during his visit to Georgia the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy gave raise to many questions by his speech at the meeting of many thousands in Tbilisi to those who concerned by the fortunes of peace and stability at the Caucasus indeed. Rather emotional speech of Sarkozy explicitly meant not only for Georgians but for French voters as well, dose not coincides with that President who in the August of 2008 really undertook significant mediatory efforts and together with the President of Russia D. A. Medvedev agreed Caucasus crisis management plan. The fact that this crisis was caused exactly by Georgia and its President Saakashvili was confirmed by the report of independent EU commission published in the fall of 2009. The same in June 2011 was stated by the ambassador of France to Georgia Erik Fournier when he was talking about the war eruption in August 2008 that Georgia could not lay the responsibility for the war in South Ossetia on anybody.
To consider South Ossetia and Abkhazia Georgia’s “stumps” and “isolated pseudo-states”, putting it mildly, is a designed misrepresentation. Obviously, the President of France in contrast to ambassador Eric Fournier doesn’t know that the Republic of South Ossetia was established in 1990 and the people of the Republic of South Ossetia declared its independence at the referendum basing on the then acting soviet legislation and the international law. The Republic of South Ossetia was proclaimed within the borders of former South Ossetian autonomous oblast and neither in 1990 nor in 2008 not take a single meter off the territory of Georgia.
In his speech Mr. Sarkozy blamed Russia of neglecting its commitments asserting that “considerable military forces not only stay but even strengthen” at the threshold of Georgia. Meanwhile, speaking to the Europarliament deputies on 21 of October 2008 the President of France stated that the President of Russia completely redeemed his promises. Thus, Nikolas Sarkozy is contradicting to himself. Russian Federation indeed completely met committed obligations according to Medvedev-Sarkozy plan of 12 August 2008. Russian troops, forced Georgian aggressor to peace left the territory of Georgia in October 2008, earlier, than it was provided by Medvedev-Sarkozy plan. And Georgia up till now is not ready for signing of binding document of non-use of force against South Ossetia and its leadership is still maturing revanchist plans.
As for present relations between the Republic of South Ossetia and Russia, they are building on contractual and legal bases in accordance with internationally adopted norms and Russian troops are deployed at the territory of South Ossetia exactly on the basis of appropriate bilateral agreements, providing security of local population.
In whole, emerged an impression that the text of Sarkozy speech was prepared in Tbilisi and the President of France just voice it. After three years it would be good to learn a lesson from August 2008 tragedy and to consider the new realities of the region, listen to the voice of reason and not provoke Georgia’s President to another “heroic deeds” and not to inflict purposefully to the Georgian community an idea of necessity of reintegration of South Ossetia and Abkhazia that became independent states to “united” Georgia.
Tskhinval, October 11, 2011