Russia Wants to Inspect Georgia Bases

Georgia said it will not allow Russia to inspect its military facilities unless Russia ends occupation of its territories.

Russia notified Georgia on January 19 and on January 21 about its willingness to inspect Georgia’s military infrastructure in the line of the OSCE 1999 Vienna Document on confidence and security-building measures. According to the same document OSCE participating state can decline a request for inspection citing “force majeure”.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on January 22, that it “claims force majeure only in regards with the Russian Federation,” with whom Georgia fought war last August and which, as the statement reads, is “in gross violation” of ceasefire accords.

“The claims of force majeure will be removed only after full de-occupation of the occupied parts of the territory of Georgia, including Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

“It must be also underlined that no guarantees and assurances exist that Russian Federation will not try to carry out further aggressive actions and the information obtained via the evaluation visit and inspection would not be used to the detriment of the National Security of Georgia,” it added.

According to the OSCE Vienna Document a state has to force majeure, it “shall explain in detail the reasons [of force majeure] without delay.” The Georgian Foreign Ministry has summoned foreign diplomats accredited in Georgia on January 22 and notified them about its decision.

“We have no reason to allow Russia to carry out inspection in the light of its aggression. Our position is fully justified,” Grigol Vashadze, the Georgian foreign minister, told journalists after meeting with foreign diplomats.

“I think Georgia has a strong argument,” Per Eklund, head of the European Commission delegation in Tbilisi, said after the meeting. “Taking into account situation here with Russian troops on the Georgian soil, they [the Georgian authorities] have the case and I think they used a right argument.”

John Tefft, the U.S. ambassador to Georgia, said the diplomats were told that currently there were German inspectors in Georgia “and there are probably some additional people coming.”

“It was made very clear to us that force majeure declaration applied only to Russia,” he added.

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