On 25 of January 2012 at PAEC winter session in Strasbourg made a speech Georgia’s Foreign Minister G. Vashadze. More than hour he expounded his vision of situation around Abkhazia and South Ossetia to PAEC members.
Georgian authorities one more time used high international platform to bring to international community again convenient for themselves information and accuse South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Russia.
Unfortunately, despite repeated requests to international organizations, including PAEC, of concession of a right for South Ossetia’s representatives to express their point of view directly does not meet an understanding yet and Georgian authorities unilaterally set forth their position.
Without mentioning absurdity of once again voiced thesis of Georgia’s federative structure in which independent, recognized Republic of South Ossetia “will receive a wide autonomy”, speech of Georgian minister contain an obvious discord with reality. In particular, he stated that “we had never blocked any humanitarian project or action aimed at trust building. We had no objections from which direction – north or south – members for instance of this Assembly enter the occupied territory”. Reality does not coincide with this statement. There is a law in force “Of occupied territories” in Georgia, which fetters any initiatives of economic ties with South Ossetia. Georgian authorities four winters in raw make feel cold South Ossetia Leningor district citizens, who are mostly ethnic Georgians, cut gas supply coming from Georgia for them, to please their political ambitions impede free crossing of state border at check points between South Ossetia and Georgia (demanding citizens to inform 10 days beforehand, etc.). Before 2008 a number of significant projects on economic and social revival of South Ossetia implementing by European Commission through OSCE and NRC had no success only for the reason that Georgian authorities in every possible way precluded access of building materials.
It is cynic to affirm that there never were objections concerning the side of access to South Ossetia. There quite a number of prohibitions, citizens if third countries are not allowed to Georgia or arrested if they entered to South Ossetia from the north and it are noted in their passports.
Georgian minister paid a lot of attention to “protection of rights” and “benefits” that can be shared with population of South Ossetia if they join Georgia. At that he of course never mentioned that the rights of South Ossetia’s inhabitants were violated by Georgia during permanent aggression against South Ossetia.
A numerous facts recently published in reports tells of egregious situation with human rights in Georgia itself. Nonetheless, real attitude of Georgian powers to the problem of respecting of other nations human rights had been visually demonstrated by sarcastic laughter and answer of Mr. Vashadze to the question of Russian deputy concerning the protracted repatriation of Meskhs to Georgia: “I am near bursting into tears of your words”. Obviously, for Mr. Vashadze somebody’s pain more easily gives rise to laughter than sorrow, although Georgia has committed itself to solve the issue of Meskhs repatriation when it was joining Council of Europe in 1999.
In its statement Georgian minister again accused Russia, which ostensibly ruins Geneva Process. If somebody damages Geneva format, it is Georgia itself, which underhand Southossetian and Abkhazian participants tries to discuss issues, ought to be discussed at Geneva discussions, on the other international formats were South Ossetia and Abkhazia not represented. All constructive proposals on the issue of preparing of common document of non-use of force between Georgia and South Ossetia, Georgia and Abkhazia on the guaranties on observing of agreements are blocked exactly by Georgia and its patrons.
Applying to PAEC delegates the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia calls for recognizing of existing realities and shift the demands, framed in western policy concerning peaceful settlement of relations between South Ossetia and Georgia, provide a possibility to representatives of South Ossetia to pass PAEC deputies position of South Ossetia.
If Georgia doesn’t want to make peaceful settlement very remote perspective it must refuse from the policy of isolation of South Ossetia. Georgia has a chance to influence to the situation in the region – to submit with political reality and establish good neighbor relations with the Republic of South Ossetia.
Tskhinval, 27 of January 2012