STATEMENT OF THE STATE COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA

The Georgian authorities - respecting September 3 Moscow Agreement signed by the chairman of the state council of the Republic of Georgia E. Shevardnadze and the President of the Russian Federation B. Yeltsin, in presence of plenipotentiary envoys of Abkhazia and the North Caucasus republics – did not increase the military potential in the conflict zone, did not conduct any assault operation and did its best to find peaceful settlement of the conflict. The consistent position of the Republic of Georgia was again confirmed on September 27, at the meeting of E. Shevardnadze and B. Yeltsin.

At the same time the Abkhaz side constantly violated the principal provisions of September 3 Agreement and the leader of Abkhaz extremists V. Ardzinba did it openly. Balance has broken within Georgian-Russian-Abkhaz tripartite commission, which was created for monitoring over the peaceful regulation of the conflict. The Russian representatives took the biased position, encouraging the increase of military potential and intensive armament. The Abkhaz side has obtained such kind of modern arms, which they did not have before the conflict and could have got only from the agencies operating under the Russian Federation’s jurisdiction.

On October 1 there was another violation of Agreement in Bzipi valley and Bichvinta district – Abkhaz extremists and mercenaries from the North Caucasus conducted comprehensive attack against Georgian positions. They entered in Gagra, robbed and killed civilians, burnt the houses. Thousands of city defenders were wounded. There were casualties, including peaceful citizens.

The population of the Republic is deeply concerned with the ongoing situation. Such action of vandalism was conducted during the presence in Sukhumi and Gudauta of Yuri Vorobev, the chairman of the tripartite Monitoring Commission on Conflict Regulation in Abkhazia. Although we warned him several times about violations of the agreement by extremists and terrorists, he did nothing to avoid bloodshed. In fact it was his and his colleagues’ immediate duty. Unfortunately neither did anything the representatives of the Ministry of Defense present within this zone.

Therefore, in Gagra Zone, where we have made certain steps recently for conflict settlement, the situation is extremely difficult, and it is also evident that the statement of the parliament of the Russian federation played provocative role in escalation of the situation. The armed gangs, instigated with the said appeal, actually turned the Abkhaz conflict into the new armed phase. Some of the members of this body, having the imperialistic ambitions, posed the real threat to the peace in the Caucasus, also to the good neighborly relations between Georgia and Russia.

The current developments in Gagra Zone, the regular breach of Moscow agreement by the opposing party make us take the decisive steps and call for reservists’ mobilization, in order to repel extremists and terrorists posing the treat to the territorial integrity of our country.

With this regard the military and volunteer formations have already received the instruction and the whole responsibility vests to the group of extremists located in Gudauta. For them and for certain forces in the North Caucasus, also for reactionary circles in Russia (those, which support the extremists) confrontation and bloodshed are more desirable rather than cease-fire and peace development. Indeed the further confrontation and conflict escalation run counter to the interests of both, Georgian and Abkhaz people and pose the threat to the whole region.

From now the state council of the Republic of Georgia will be working within a special regime in order to implement all necessary measures, which should secure the safety pf peaceful population, high standards of military units and the territorial integrity of Georgia.

The State Council expresses its firm belief that it will gain the full support of the population of Georgia thereby securing holding of parliamentary elections on October 11 and solving the problems.

(Newspaper “Sakartvelos Respublika” /Republic of Georgia/, # 201-202, October 3, 1992)