Moscow Gives its Interpretation to OSCE Statement on Georgia

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on December 9 that Russia”s support of a statement on Georgia adopted by the OSCE Ministerial Council in Ljubljana on December 6 does not mean that Moscow has changed its position over South Ossetia or, in particular, towards Tbilisi”s peace plan.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry”s information note, this statement was interpreted by some media sources as Russia”s support for the “Plan on Comprehensive Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict,” voiced by Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli in October, as well as a sign that Moscow was “giving up South Ossetia.” 

“This kind of interpretation is absolutely groundless. I would recommend that the authors [of this interpretation] thoroughly read through the text of the statement on Georgia adopted in Ljubljana by the OSCE Foreign Ministerial Council. This document welcomes steps towards a peaceful resolution of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and [the statement] expresses the opinion that the peace plan, based on initiatives voiced by the President of Georgia [Mikheil Saakashvili] at the 59th UN General Assembly Session [in September, 2004], which was supported by the [different] sides, will become a foundation for solving this problem,” Mikhail Kaminin, the Russian Foreign Ministry”s spokesman, said in the information note.

The statement adopted at the OSCE Ministerial Council reads: “We welcome the steps taken by the Georgian side to address the peaceful resolution of the conflict and believe that the recent proposals, in particular the Peace Plan built upon the initiatives of the President of Georgia presented at the 59th United Nations General Assembly [in September, 2004] and supported by the sides, will serve as a basis for the peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

According to the Georgian side “the recent proposal” is one voiced by PM Nogaideli in October at the OSCE Permanent Council, which is a detailed roadmap of objectives and steps that the Georgian authorities intend to undertake to foster a resolution to the South Ossetian conflict in the nearest future so that a final solution can be achieved by the end of 2006.

The Russian side claimed that the Action Plan voiced by Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli in October does not coincide with the “three-stage” peace plan voiced by President Saakashvili in September, 2004. But the Georgian side claimed that all plans put forth by the Georgian side are in-line with the President Saakashvili”s proposals, but the difference in the plan voiced by PM Nogaideli is that the latter envisages a detailed timeframe for implementing certain measures.

The Russian Foreign Ministry”s spokesman said that Moscow still considers initiatives voiced by President Saakashvili as “more successful.” He said that “the strongest part” of these initiatives is a resolution of the conflict in three stages.

“This [three-stage conflict resolution principle] is not observed in different versions of the peace plan, which are being disseminated by the Georgian side in the European capitals,” Mikhail Kaminin said, referring to the action plan voiced by PM Nogaideli at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna and latter in Brussels at the NATO and EU headquarters.

“Nothing has changed in our assessments of the Georgian proposals after the adoption of the statement in Ljubljana,” the Russian Foreign Ministry”s spokesman added.

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