Press conference by Georgia

 

If the international community was interested in achieving a lasting solution to the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, it must begin thinking about internationalizing the peace process, and in particular establishing a “real UN-led peacekeeping operation”, Georgia’s Permanent Representative, Revaz Adamia, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

He began by noting that the Security Council yesterday adopted a resolution on the matter, extending the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) for two months.  The fact that it had been a technical rollover, rather than a resolution which also reflected developments on the ground to promote the peace process, indicated major differences in the positions of Council members, he said.

[UNOMIG was established in August 1993 to verify compliance with the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Abkhaz authorities in Georgia.  That ceasefire broke down later that same year.  With the signing in May 1994 of the Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces, the parties agreed to the deployment of a peacekeeping force of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to monitor compliance with the Agreement, with UNOMIG monitoring implementation of the Agreement and observing the operation of the CIS force.]

It appeared, he continued, that the Russian Federation had suddenly decided to change its position.  Russian policymakers had decided to withdraw their support to the basic principle of resolving the conflict, namely defining the status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia.

While the Russian Federation had been verbally supporting the territorial integrity of Georgia from the beginning of the peace process, what was taking place on the ground in the zone of conflict was fundamentally different, he said.  Abkhazia’s de facto annexation was manifesting itself in a variety of forms.  Among them, he noted the granting of Russian citizenship to a majority of the population residing in Abkhazia, and the training of secessionist officers in Russian military schools.

In addition, he said the CIS peacekeeping force, which consisted exclusively of Russian troops, was playing the role of border guards protecting the separatist regime, rather than enabling the return of refugees and internally displaced persons in security and dignity, which was the most important part of their mandate.

Asked what he thought about Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin’s statement yesterday that giving independence to Kosovo would have implications for Abkhazia, Mr. Adamia said he found both the statement and the approach of the President and Russian policymakers worrisome.  The notion that the “Kosovo model” should be a universal model for the entire “post-Soviet space” was a dangerous one.  Neither President Putin nor the leaders of the separatist regime understood what was meant by the Kosovo model.  The situation in Kosovo was entirely different than that in Abkhazia, and the Kosovo model alluded to the achievement of independence.  He could not accept the Kosovo model for solving the problems in Georgia, whether in South Ossetia or Abkhazia.  Georgia could not sacrifice its territorial integrity.

As for Russia’s claim that the Boden Paper on “Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi” -- the document intended to serve as a basis for meaningful negotiations on the future status of Abkhazia within the State of Georgia -- had been rejected by the Abkhaz side, Mr. Adamia said that the main principle outlined in the Boden Paper was the territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders and the inviolability of those borders.  The Paper also stated that the future status of Abkhazia was to be determined by the parties involved.

On whether Abkhazia had a case regarding secession, he said his Government was not against any part of Georgia being independent, if that decision was taken by the entirety of Georgia and the part in question.  But the precondition for that was that the population that was there before the conflict started must be able to return.

Personally, he believed genocide and ethnic cleansing had been committed in Abkhazia.  The ethnic cleansing that occurred there had been confirmed by the international community, and reflected in resolutions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) during the 1990s.  More than 300,000 Georgians had been expelled from Abkhazia.  Before the conflict began, Abkhazians represented 17 or 18 per cent of the population in that territory, and Georgians about half the population.  Today, there were almost no Georgians left in Abkhazia.

He believed genocide had occurred, since more than 10,000 people had been killed during the conflict, and added that the Russian Federation had participated in that with its military and mercenaries, as had been described in the “appropriate sources”.

As for the next steps on the part of Georgia, he said that if there was no improvement either in the positions or behaviour of the Russian peacekeepers or in the general conflict resolution process, his Parliament would ask the Government for the appropriate resolutions.  After the passing of the October resolution, he had expected the Russian Federation to “make some moves” to discuss the dissatisfaction expressed about the peacekeeping operation.  Unfortunately, the Russian Foreign Ministry responded to that resolution by calling it provocation by the Georgian side.

He noted that discussions would be taking place in Geneva on 2 and 3 February on the Abkhaz problem, adding that there was more readiness on the part of the international community and among the players involved to understand that it was time to change the modalities and framework of the entire peace operation.

A correspondent referred to allegations by the Central Bank of Georgia that Russian banks in Abkhazia were involved in money-laundering.  Mr. Adamia replied that it was clear that money-laundering and other activities, such as the illicit trade in small arms and sheltering terrorists, were happening in places lacking control by the international community.

Asked if Georgia’s relationship with the Russian Federation had hit an all-time low since Georgia gained independence, he said there had definitely been a serious change in the Russian position, not only towards Georgia but also towards the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.  He had noted an increased irritation and anger towards his country and others in the region.

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For information media • not an official record