review
The given handbook is a second, updated edition
of the English-language handbook under the same title published by the Author
in 2003 within the research of regional conflicts in Georgia. It was preceded by first
and second updated editions of the same title in Georgian and Russian languages
respectively in 2002 and 2005, also, two books in Georgian-Russian and English
languages - "Status of Autonomous Regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
within Georgia (1917-1988). Collection of Political-legal Acts" are organic parts of the handbooks mentioned above. During the same time frame, the three language web site (www.rrc.ge) in internet - "Georgia, Regional Conflicts
(South Ossetia, Abkhazia) in Documents.
Prehistory and Present (1917-1988)" was created and activated.
This handbook includes important political-legal documents reflecting the conflicts
developments in Georgia (South Ossetia and
Abkhazia) from 1989-2011, namely:
1. Acts of governments of autonomous regions aimed at regionalization, political
decentralization, separation from the State and consequently, sovereignty of
these regions;
2. Acts of Georgian national government and governmental bodies aimed at
protection and strengthening of the state sovereignty and territorial
integrity;
3. Decisions of the states (USSR,
the Russian SFSR, the Russian Federation,
and the USA)
and international organizations (UN, CSCE, OSCE, Council of Europe, European
Union, CIS and NATO) regarding the conflicts;
4. Agreements on peaceful resolution of the conflicts;
5. Other documents related to the problem.
In order to ensure the full reflection of materials, many documents of this
handbook are presented in the shortened version, but with the provisions
(Chapters, articles, paragraphs) that fully complies the aim of the book and
the spirit of the documents themselves.
The handbook does not pretend to be perfect source to guide readers of essence
of these conflicts. This publication is intended to make it available for the
general public the wide range of political-legal information (knowledge) about
the 22-years old regional conflicts, genesis of conflicts in these two regions,
political confrontations, starting points of the conflicts and their
transformation into the armed ones, process of their peaceful resolution, its
results and future.
The main purpose of the publication is to help the parties of the conflict and
those who are involved in their resolution as well as other stakeholders
understand the problem as thoroughly as possible, realize their part of the
responsibility, and make reasonable decisions during legal resolution of those
conflicts.
It gives additional value to the work the fact that author, in order to make
the information about the problem as wide as possible, has placed the documents
of this handbook and other materials collected during the research of the
regional conflicts in three languages on the website of which is equipped with
the necessary research capacity.
Mr. Diasamidze conducts very important and efficient
activities for our country by collecting and publishing the materials regarding
the territorial conflicts in Georgia.
The work is to be welcomed as it provides all necessary instruments to widen
our knowledge related to one of the most problematical conflicts in the
contemporary world.
Levan Alexidze Professor of
International Law Member of Georgian
National Academy
of Sciences
(See second, updated editions of the book in Russian and Georgian language)
