Situation in Georgia Explosive – Russia’s Foreign Policy Review

?The situation in the South Caucasus remains tense, and in the case of Georgia ? explosive,? the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its Foreign Policy Review, ITAR-TASS reported on March 27.

The document presents Russia?s vision of the situation abroad and specifies the main tenets of Russia’s foreign policy worldwide.

The ?frozen conflicts? in the region are being ?used by out-of-region forces to strengthen their influence in the region to the detriment of our [Russia?s] positions,? according to the review.

?The policies of the Georgian leadership headed by Mikheil Saakashvili are built on ethnic nationalism and supported by several Western countries, particularly the United States?Tbilisi is intent on breaking the current peacekeeping and negotiating formats, resulting in the deterioration of the situation vis-a-vis Abkhazia and South Ossetia.?

Georgia ?is counting on attracting heightened international attention to these problems, and is hoping to involve the Euro-Atlantic structures in the ?frozen conflicts? so as to resolve them on its own terms, meaning securing the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as integral parts of the unitary Georgian state.?

At the same time ?the Georgian side is unrelenting in its anti-Russian campaign in the media…[It]  attempts to use the potential of the OSCE, CoE, EU and NATO to further its own aims, tries to transfer the responsibility for its own internal and external problems to Russia thus justifying …. authoritarian tendencies in the political life [of Georgia].?

?It is in our interest to continue a principled line in relations with Tbilisi?it is most important to preempt actions that are detrimental to the long-term national interests of the Georgian people.?

?Our line in relation to conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is based in need to seek a feasible [?life-capable?] solution notwithstanding time and [political] status limitations which foresees voluntary agreement of the sides of conflict to the model of regulation worked out by themselves in framework of existing negotiating formats,? the document reads.

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