In a statement issued on October 12, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the Georgian Parliament?s resolution setting a performance deadline to the Russian peacekeepers stationed in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as ?biased? and ?provocative? and one which aims at thwarting the peace process.
According to the resolution adopted by the Georgian Parliament on October 11, the Georgian government should take measures to prepare for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflict zone if the performance of the peacekeeping forces does not improve before February, 2006 and July, 2006 in South Ossetia and Abkhazia respectively.
?Beside [having a] clearly prejudiced and biased assessment of the state of affairs in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, this document contains rough attacks on Russia…The main target [of the resolution] is the Russian peacekeeping forces… The Georgian parliamentarians have chosen the language of ultimatum,? the Russian Foreign Ministry statement reads.
?The Russian side considers the resolution a provocative step, directed towards fueling tensions, thwarting the current negotiating format, liquidating a legal base of peaceful resolution of conflicts on the Georgian territory. By putting the blame on Russia for the unresolved problems of Georgia?s territorial integrity, the Parliament of this state clearly tries to shift responsibility from a sick head to a healthy one,? the statement says.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that in the last two years Russia, in cooperation with foreign partners and international organizations, has spared no effort ?to maintain a fragile balance,? which has been undermined not only by the military rhetoric of the Georgian politicians, ?but also by their direct attempts to solve the problems in Abkhazia and South Ossetia through military force.?
?Thanks only to the current peacekeeping mechanisms was it possible to keep the situation under the control,? the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
?Irresponsible actions of Tbilisi can cause irreparable damage to the peaceful resolution of these conflicts. It should be understood in Georgia that the forceful option, to which some hot heads are inclined to, is condemned by the international community,? the statement reads.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also reminds Georgia that the current negotiating formats for Abkhazia and South Ossetia involve not only Russia, but also the UN, Commonwealth of Impendent States and UN Secretary General?s Group of Friends in regards to Abkhazia and the OSCE in regards to South Ossetia. ?[The current formats] have been created through mutual agreement between the parties involved in the conflicts,? the statement reads.
?The Russian side undertakes all necessary measures to secure the fulfillment of current international agreements, to prevent destabilization of situation in the region, to protect the rights and interests of Russian citizens residing there,? the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
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