Georgian Parliament Says Duma’s Move ‘Extremely Unfriendly’

The Russian State Duma’s statements on Abkhazia and South Ossetia are a source of “deep concern” and an “extremely unfriendly” move, a statement passed unanimously by the Georgian Parliament on December 7 says.

The Georgian Parliament’s statement, which says that the Russian Duma’s statements aim at provoking the Georgian side and at stirring tensions in the conflict zones, is an appeal to the international community.

Russia, which has a role as a formal mediator and has peacekeepers in the conflict zones, is acting as a supporter of the “aggressive separatism” of the two regions, the statement reads.

The document also states that Tbilisi will not yield to provocative actions of Russia, which aim at stirring confrontation in the conflict zones and at undermining Georgia’s international reputation.

MP Kote Gabashvili, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, noted at the parliamentary session on December 7 that opposition lawmakers also contributed to the development of the statement and noted that the Georgian Parliament was unanimous in backing it.

“Unanimous support is of special importance with issues of this kind,” Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said in an information note on December 7 that the Duma’s statements have once again undermined Russia’s role as unbiased peacekeeper.

“We call on the Russian government not to yield to the State Duma’s emotional and unbalanced statements in order to avoid further escalation in already tense bilateral relations,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)