On the resolution adopted by PACE, based on the report of Ms. Tina Acketoft
On 23 January at the winter session of PACE a final resolution was adopted. The resolution was based on the report of Tina Aketoft “Georgia and Russia: humanitarian situation in the conflict and war affected areas”. The resolution raises a number of serious questions in South Ossetia.
Formation of a new system of international relations, that is taking place in the world currently, is very important. For sustainability of this system it has to be based on different poles, reflecting real power of states and regions in different parts of the world. PACE is a respected international venue where interests of all states should be supported and considered based on principals of mutual respect and equality.
It looks as if the resolution supports humanitarian issues, although it is politicized from the very beginning. South Ossetia is referred as an occupied territory of Georgia which is of course not true. Republic of South Ossetia is an independent sovereign state and has nothing to do with territory of Georgia.
In the paragraphs of the resolution on displaced people special attention is paid to Georgian refugees, although the reality is far away from the point of view imposed by the resolution. Most of the ethnic Georgians left the territory of South Ossetia few days before Georgian troops’ attack in 2008, i.e. they were not forced, they left voluntarily. Total number of Georgians that left the territory of South Ossetia in August 2008 is approximately 5000 people. Starting from 1990 about 100 000 ethnic Ossetian refugees fled South Ossetia and Georgia escaping from aggression and ethnic cleansing, fate of those people is not of concern to the parliamentarians.
The resolution completely ignores the interests of the people of South Ossetia. PACE delegates consistently, further to Georgian politicians, raise the issue of deployment of international observers to Republic of South Ossetia. South Ossetia enjoys peace and stability for five years since August 2008. Security is ensured by the presence of Russian military contingent within the framework of bilateral agreements between Russia and South-Ossetia. People of South Ossetia are grateful to Russian military border guards that guarantee external security of the Republic.
Addressing the PACE, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Ossetia calls on the parliamentarians to accept the existing reality and let representatives of South Ossetia to participate in the discussions related to their state. Lack of sufficient international contact and limited access to international tribunes gives wrong impression on the situation in the region to many members of the international community.
Tskhinval, 24 January 2013