Lavrov Comments on Conflicts in Georgia

Russia wants the UN Security Council to call on Georgia to follow commitments undertaken under the 1994 cease-fire agreement regarding Abkhazia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in New York on September 23.

Lavrov was speaking with reporters about the results of a meeting between top-level officials from the Foreign Ministries of Germany, France, Russia, the UK and the U.S., members of the Group of Friends of the UN Secretary General on Georgia. The meeting was held in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly Session on September 22.

“Our partners share concerns about the state of affairs in respect to the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict resolution process,” Lavrov said.

He said that the Russian side has informed the Group of Friends about “multiple violations of the existing agreements by the Georgian side” by deploying its troops in upper Kodori Gorge in breakaway Abkhazia.

Lavrov also noted that the Russian side is concerned about Georgia”s refusal to let Russian peacekeeping forces monitor upper Kodori Gorge together with UN observers.

“We have also drawn our partners” attention on the fact that Georgia is purchasing a large number of weapons,” Lavrov said.

“We hope that next month, when the UN Security Council discusses its resolution on prolonging the mandate of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia, Security Council members will reflect in this document a principled assessment which will be based on facts and will call on the Georgian side to adhere to its commitments and on the Abkhaz side to resume talks. As far as I know the Abkhaz side is ready for this,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

“[Abkhaz leader] Sergey Bagapsh has proposed a concrete plan for discussion with his Georgian counterparts, which is called the “Key to the Future.” There is the Georgian side”s proposal as well, which is called a “roadmap.” The Abkhaz side, as far as I understand, is ready to find a mutual ways towards the normalization of the situation based on these two documents. We will be insisting on the reflection of these elements in the resolution which the Security Council plans to approve this October,” Lavrov stated.

The Russian Foreign Minister again noted that in his speech to the UN General Assembly Session on September 22 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili distorted the facts in his criticism of the Russian-led peacekeeping operations in the conflict zones.

“I think having “hot” and not “frozen” conflicts in this region [South Caucasus] is not in a long-term interest of those [countries], which try to have their influence there [in the region],” Lavrov said.

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