PACE to Debate on Georgia-Russia War Resolution

A draft resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) became “became stricter” and “clearer in condemning” Russia’s failure to fulfill the PACE’s October resolution provisions, a member of the Georgian delegation, MP Akaki Minashvili, said on January 27; it, however, was not immediate clear what type of amendments have been made to the initial draft.

Unlike the PACE’s October resolution on consequences of the August war, which called Russia to withdraw its decision on recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the initial draft resolution expected to be debated at the Parliamentary Assembly session on January 28, states that the Assembly “regrets the unanimous ratification” by both houses of the Russian Parliament cooperation treaties with two breakaway regions.

The draft resolution says that the move was the “violation” of the August 12 ceasefire accord, as well as of the principle of “sovereignty, territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as the inviolability of its borders” fully supported by the Assembly.

The Russian delegation to PACE welcomed on January 26 that the call for Russia’s reversal of its recognition decision was no longer included in the draft of the new resolution.

“Although the draft maintains disagreement of its authors with the Russia’s decision [to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia], I see a principle difference from the positions that were expressed in October resolution, which called on Russia to withdraw its decision on recognition and also called on other member states not to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia – that is the position, which was expressed in October. But now the authors of the draft simply stress on the fact that they disagree with the decision of Russia – that is a different approach in principle,” MP Konstantin Kosachyov, the head of the Russian delegation, told RFE/RL Georgian service on January 26.

MP Akaki Minashvili, a chairman of the parliamentary committee for foreign affairs, told RFE/RL Georgian service on January 26 that the Georgian side prepared over 20 amendments to the draft resolution.
 
“I expected heated debates and I am sure that the Russia’s actions will be assessed very strictly, because not only Russia failed to fulfill the October resolution provisions, but went further to violate them, including through establishing diplomatic ties with the breakaway regions,” he said on January 26. “My initial observation is that people in the PACE understand this very well, so I expect tough assessments over Russia’s actions.”

The draft resolution also reads that the Assembly “regrets that Russia has not yet complied with the majority of the demands” set out by the October resolution; it also notes that Georgia “has complied with many, but not all, of its demands.”

The draft resolution also says that the Assembly “condemns the ongoing ethnic cleansing and other human rights violations in South Ossetia, as well as the failure of Russia and the de facto authorities to bring these practices to a halt and their perpetrators to justice.”

The draft welcomes launch of investigation by the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office into alleged human rights violations committed by all sides during the war, especially “in the light of the overwhelming evidence to the effect that both Georgia and Russia violated human rights and humanitarian law.” The resolution “regrets” that no such investigation has been launched by the Russian side.

The document also calls on Russia and authorities of the both breakaway regions “to bring to an immediate halt the provocations and attacks from the South Ossetian and Abkhaz sides of the administrative border.”

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