PRESS CONFERENCE BY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF GEORGIA

 

Urging the international community to help halt the “aggressive and barbaric acts performed by the Russian Federation”, Irakli Alasania, Georgia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said today that his country’s territory remained occupied and its cities subject to the hostile behaviour of the Russian military, their looting, destruction and murder having become customary.

He said at a Headquarters press conference that the Russian side had violated the agreed ceasefire and, despite commitments at the highest level, it continued its aggressive occupation and inhuman actions on the sovereign territory of Georgia.  “Everybody has to understand that the punitive actions of the Russian Federation are to demolish and to destroy Georgian statehood.  Their aim is to destroy Georgian democracy and take away the freedom of Georgian people.”

Giving an update of developments in his country, he said the entire territory of Abkhazia, Georgia, that of South Ossetia, Georgia, as well as the cities of Zugdidi, Senaki and Poti in western Georgia and Gori in the east were under Russian control.  Russian forces had destroyed military installations in the port of Poti and Georgian border guards had reported the destruction of vessels and various systems.  The Russians had first entered Poti on 11 August and had occupied its Coast Guard facilities.  They had also sunk several vessels of the Georgian Armed Forces and two belonging to the Coast Guard.

Russian troops were looting villages in eastern Georgia, including in the Gori district, he said, adding that a reporter from Georgian public television had been wounded while reporting live from Gori.  It had been speculated even in the Russian media that de facto authorities in South Ossetia were assassinating their political rivals and putting the blame on the Georgian side.

International human rights institutions had confirmed Russia’s deliberate exaggeration of the number of casualties on the South Ossetian side, he said.  United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations had not entered the conflict zone because Russia had refused to allow access to the occupied territories.  Robert Watkins, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Georgia, had called for the immediate establishment of the security and administrative conditions required to allow the setting up of humanitarian corridors, as agreed in the ceasefire plan.

He said his country welcomed the efforts of several countries, notably France, Turkey, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Poland, Azerbaijan, Israel and the United States in providing humanitarian assistance.  Georgia also thanked United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his offer of good offices in efforts to restore peace and security in the region, and his support for a solution based on full respect for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Noting the grave humanitarian situation in the conflict zone, he quoted Human Rights Watch: “The remaining residents of these destroyed ethnic Georgian villages are facing desperate conditions, with no means of survival, no help, no protection and nowhere to go.”  For two successive days, Human Rights Watch researchers had observed houses ablaze in several Georgian villages.  Clearly, they had been torched.  An attack on the main square in Gori on 12 August had killed and injured dozens of civilians gathered to collect food.  Although the Russian military had initially denied involvement in the Gori military operation, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had confirmed on 13 August that Russian forces were active in that area.  Russian warplanes had also carried out several aerial bombardments of Gori from 9 to 12 August.

Emphasizing his country’s adherence to the principles outlined by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who holds the rotating European Union presidency, he said Georgia was complying with the ceasefire agreement and was fully committed to it.  Along with full respect for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders -- which could not be questioned -- those principles were the basis for negotiations, which should be conducted under the United Nations umbrella.  The agreement subsequently must be backed by a Security Council resolution, which would serve as a confirmation of the obligations undertaken, particularly by the Russian Federation.  It must be made clear that the sovereign State of Georgia was under military aggression.

Responding to questions, he said it was his understanding that the French delegation was working with other Security Council members on a draft resolution, which would reflect directly the principles of the agreement and be in line with international law.  It was understood the text would be under discussion for “a while” and that it would not be tabled while United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Paris and undertaking high-level contacts with Georgian officials.

He said the withdrawal of Georgian forces from South Ossetia had been agreed under the French plan, although that had already taken place when the agreement was reached.  Georgia had demanded the full withdrawal of Russian forces before the escalation had started.  As for whether Russian forces would be able to conduct security operations, pending international mechanisms, that was “really ambiguous” and Georgia would need precise details.  That was why there were intensive consultations with the French side and why answers were needed from the Russian side, as well.

Asked how he would characterize the Council’s response so far, he said it had been engaged from the very start of the conflict, and it should be kept in mind that the aggressor was a permanent Council member.  Most other members had aired their concerns and condemnations of the invasion of Georgian territory during the Council’s public meetings.  The Council’s mood had been “adequate”, but unfortunately, it had not been possible to proceed to action.

In terms of the “information war”, he said it was critically important that human rights activists be allowed to see what was happening on the ground.  From the Georgian side, access was “everywhere”; officials were helping international organizations and observers see what was happening on the ground, but, unfortunately, access was being denied in the Georgian territories occupied by the Russian Federation.  Georgia was trying to put out credible information and reach out to the media.

Attacks against Georgian villages in South Ossetia were tragic and a humanitarian catastrophe, he said in reply to another question.  The decision to attack so as to suppress fire on the Ossetian side had been taken following attacks on Georgian villages, in which civilians had been killed.  Georgia was deeply concerned about casualties on both sides.  A very close look should be taken at the casualty figures.  Allegations by the Russian side of many thousands killed were clearly intended to justify “their barbaric aggression against Georgia”.  As of yesterday, the official death toll was 175, but it could be assumed that, when things calmed down, there would be much higher casualties on the Georgian side.

Regarding his country’s filing with the International Court of Justice, he said Georgia wished to bring to the international community and to the Court its large body of evidence encompassing the period 1992 to 2008, which would confirm the ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  Georgia was asking the Court to react to and confirm its assertion, and subsequently to take action against the Russian Federation.

As for the outcome of diplomatic contacts, he said Georgia sought a full ceasefire; the “de-occupation” of Georgian territory, without which there could be no meaningful dialogue; the demilitarization of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; and solid international guarantees of the ceasefire and demilitarization.  All that should be under the United Nations umbrella.

Georgia was not thinking about the creation of a military coalition because it main goal was to halt the military escalation, he said in reply to another question.  Regarding whether the presence of the United States military was a deterrent to the Russian Federation, it was there for a humanitarian operation and not military involvement.

Asked about the psychology of the Georgian population, he said it was believed that Russia wished to overthrow his country’s democratically elected Government.  In terms of Georgia’s future relationship with the Russian Federation, everyone felt that what Russia did was aimed at eliminating Georgian statehood.

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For information media • not an official record