Lavrov Comments on Ties with Georgia, Kosovo

The Georgian authorities are pursuing ?an anti-Russian policy? in order to distract attention from internal problems, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said.

?The Georgian leadership needs this line to justify its failures both in foreign and domestic policy, as well as its failures in establishing normal relations with South Ossetia and Abkhazia,? Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian weekly magazine Itogi (Results), published on November 26.

The Georgian authorities claim that the recent anti-government demonstrations were part of a Russian-backed coup attempt, financed by business tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili and incited by Imedi TV, co-owned by Patarkatsishvili. In addition, Tbilisi recently accused Russia of deploying additional troops and military hardware in Abkhazia.

Lavrov said that ?certain forces in Tbilisi? were preparing for a forceful resolution of the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflicts. ?Increased military spending by Georgia confirms this,? he added.

He said that he had met many times with his Georgian counterpart, Gela Bezhuashvili, and laid out Moscow?s proposals for improved bi-lateral ties.

?I explained what should be done in order to normalize our relations? Lavrov said. ?We have even submitted a list of necessary steps to be taken by Georgia. It includes dropping the anti-Russian rhetoric and rejecting the use of force in relation to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.?

Every time Russia has shown a willingness to improve ties with Georgia, Lavrov said, the authorities in Tbilisi staged new provocations. He then recalled the August 6 missile incident, saying it still remained unresolved.

?Despite our proposals to fairly put an end to this incident, it still hasn’t been investigated,? Lavrov said.

Two separate groups of 13 technical experts from seven western countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States) backed Tbilisi?s version of events, saying that at least one aircraft had intruded into Georgian airspace from Russia and had dropped a guided anti-radar missile deep into Georgian territory. A group of Russian military experts, however, concluded that the incident had been staged by Tbilisi to discredit Moscow.

When asked whether Russia would recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia if Kosovo were recognized by the west, the Russian foreign minister refused to give a direct answer, instead saying that Moscow would ?act within international law.?

?I believe that this issue will not be settled with a unilateral declaration of Kosovo?s independence and its subsequent recognition in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions,? Lavrov said. ?When we say that it is impossible to infringe the principle of state territorial integrity, this is exactly what we mean; when we say that unilateral actions regarding Kosovo will create a precedent, we are trying to prevent a violation of international law and the creation of a precedent. We understand very well what the consequences are for other unrecognized territories.?

President Saakashvili said in an interview with a Georgian journalist, Inga Grigolia, on November 24 that the Kosovo case and Russia?s attempt to establish Kosovo as a precedent for other conflicts posed ?a serious threat? to Georgia.

Saakashvili also said that he hoped decisions pertaining to Kosovo would be delayed until after Georgia?s January presidential elections. ?We expect it [Kosovo’s status] to be resolved by April,? he added.

The Georgian authorities warned earlier that a recognition of Abkhaz or South Ossetian independence by Russia would amount to a declaration of war on Georgia.

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