STATEMENT OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
As reported, on 22-23 February of current year
under the pretext of renovation of the Sanatorium of the Ministry of Interior
of the USSR, 250 fully
equipped soldiers of
the Internal Troops of the USSR have been
delivered to Gulrupshi District, Abkhaz ASSR.
The aforementioned troops are brought to the
territory of the Republic of Georgia without prior
agreement with the Government of Georgia.
As it is known, neither the Council of Ministers, nor the Ministry of
Interior of the Abkhaz ASSR was informed about this fact.
With regard of the aforementioned fact the
Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia notes that the
units of the Internal Troops of the USSR have been brought
to the territory of the Republic of Georgia with gross
violation of sovereign rights and territorial supremacy of the Republic of Georgia.
Bringing of Internal Troops to the territory of
the Abkhaz ASSR, which is indivisible part of Georgia, has no legal
ground. In accordance to Article 3 of
the law of the USSR “on Rights and Responsibilities of the Internal Troops of
the Ministry of Interior of the USSR in Maintaining the Public Order”, the
Internal Troop shall be used at the time of disorder and to prevent the mass
turmoil. Such situation does not exist
in Abkhazia. The law has no consideration
of using the Troops for construction or other similar purposes. Such works are carried out by the
constructing organizations of the Ministry of Interior. The decision on bringing the troops, in
pursuance to the rules established by law, shall be made upon request of the
Council of Ministers of the relevant Union or Autonomous Republic, or with the
consent of the Council of Ministers of the USSR subject to obligatory consideration of
the issues with the Council of ministers of the relevant Union or Autonomous
republic. As it is clear, the leadership
of the USSR not only violates
the rights of the Union Republics, but also ignores
the own laws.
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia believes that
bringing of Internal troops to the territory of the
Abkhaz ASSR is another provocation of destructive forces aimed at destabilizing
public-political situation in this region of Georgia and in entire
country.
Proceeding from the aforementioned, the Supreme
Council of the Republic of Georgia expresses its firm
protest against this fact and asks the President of the USSR to prevent the
arbitrary performance of those officials, under whose order the troops have
been brought to the territory of the Republic of Georgia. At the same time the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia calls for
immediate withdrawal of these units of the Internal Troops from the territory of Georgia, otherwise the
whole responsibility on the consequences will be put on the side that carried
out unlawful act.
Adopted at the First Session
of the Supreme Council of the Republic
of Georgia
of the first convocation.
27 February, 1991
(Bulletin
of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia, 1991, # 2, p. 122-123)