RESOLUTION OF THE STATE DUMA OF THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION On appeal of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the international parliamentary organizations in connection with the armed attack of Georgia against South Ossetia

The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation resolves:

1. To adopt the address of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to Parliaments of the states-members of the United Nations Organization and international parliamentary organizations in connection with the armed attack of Georgia against South Ossetia.

2. To submit the Resolution and the Address to D. A .Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization, Parliaments of the states-members of the United Nations Organization and international parliamentary organizations.

3. To send the Resolution and the Address to “Parliament Newspaper” for official publication.

4. The resolution enters into force on the day of adoption.

B. V. Gryzlov, Chairman of the State Duma

of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Moscow, August 25, 2008. 

 

APPEAL OF THE STATE DUMA OF THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TO PARLIAMENTS OF MEMBER STATES OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL PARLIAMENTARY ORGANIZATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE ARMED ATTACK OF GEORGIA AGAINST SOUTH OSSETIA

In small hours of August 8, 2008, the Armed Forces of Georgia, in violation of the Agreement on Principles of Settlement of the Georgian-Ossetian Conflict of June 24, 1992, signed by the President of the Russian Federation and the President of the Republic of Georgia, launched massive attacks and shelling against the populated areas in South Ossetia, including the town of Tskhinvali. Hundreds of civilians, most of them citizens of the Russian Federation, were killed as a result of the use of heavy weapons, including multiple-launch rocket systems. Russian peacekeeping troops that are part of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces for establishment of peace and maintenance of order, were treacherously attacked by the so-called Georgian peacekeepers.

The number of casualties and refugees and the scope of destruction testify to a thoroughly planned large-scale aggression, perpetrated despite the Georgian President’s numerous promises not to use force and the UN General Assembly’s call to observe “Olympic truce” during the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The present escalation of the conflict is not a result of subversive activities of some mythical separatists as Georgian authorities sometimes try to represent the legitimate authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is a tragic result of the centuries-old confrontation of the peoples populating the Caucasus, which the former and the incumbent Georgian leaders have failed to defuse.

Back in 1992, right after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia held nationwide referendums and expressed, by overwhelming majority of votes, their will to live separately from Georgia. In response, Georgian nationalists made an attempt to make these peoples capitulate or to destroy them and seize their lands. The armed conflicts in early 1990s represented the Georgian government’s attempts to impose its will on the Abkhaz and South Ossetian peoples, while for these peoples the conflicts meant the struggle for survival and ethnic self-preservation.

During the following period up to the present, the population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia underwent many severe trials. Georgia’s consistent attempts to build a mono-ethnic state “for Georgians” that involved the abolition of the autonomous status of South Ossetia, the staking on the military superiority and finally Saakashvili’s recent aggression have jeopardized the very existence of the ethnoses in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and deprived the post-conflict process of any political sense.

Regrettably, some states willing to secure their own positions in the Caucasus, have failed to meet the political and moral commitment to ensure peace and stability and to protect lives and safety of people in conflict zones. Moreover, the reckless opportunistic support of Saakashvili’s regime, who all this time was preparing for the new war under the guise of “democratization” of Georgia, has appeared to be the aggressor encouragement policy.

One cannot help feeling alarmed over the large-scale propagandist attack against Russia in many foreign media outlets that followed Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia. The efforts of the Russian Federation to establish peace and security were misrepresented as unjustified and disproportionate, while the real aggressor was posed as victim.

Based on the misinterpreted considerations of “big geopolitics” and the vicious logic of division of conflicting sides into “allies” and “enemies”, media corporations of the NATO member-states actually deprived their people of any access to the objective information about the tragedy we witnessed and also misled many honest and decent political figures. The disorientation was strengthened by the endless airing of Saakashvili’s incoherent demagogy and the hushing of the real witnesses of the genocide as well as the actions of some international organizations, which initially tried to “clear up situation” by sending their official representatives only to Tbilisi.

The members of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation are confident that the more adequate reaction of the French Presidency of the Council of Europe and the Finnish Presidency of the OSCE, that allowed developing the known “six points” of the peaceful plan, became possible only after their representatives visited the sites of the tragedy and met with the war-affected population. Unfortunately, no quick and adequate reaction followed from the Council of Europe, which always treated all conflict situations in Russia’s North Caucasus with particular attention. The UN Security Council did not defend the residents of South Ossetia dieing from bombs and bullets either.

The members of the State Duma highly appreciate the civic stance that our colleagues in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and in many parliaments and political parties of foreign states held during the conflict. Only further international pressure on Georgian authorities aimed at the strict fulfillment of the peaceful plan can bring the long-expected peace to the region.

The State Duma is confident that the international community will learn the real state of things, including the use of the patronage, financial and military support of several foreign states by Georgian authorities, while the issues of information security will be high on the agenda in parliaments and international organizations.

On 20th, 21st and 22nd of August, 2008, the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, extended via their legally elected authorities the appeal to D.A. Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for recognizing their republics as full-fledged, sovereign and independent states. The State Duma regards the expression of the will of the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as legal, sound and justified. The recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia and Republic of South Ossetia as full-fledged, sovereign and independent states would prevent military adventures of Georgian authorities in the future, foster peace and security in the region and develop international cooperation in conformity with the aims and principles of the UN Charter for the sake of the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia that during the years of their de facto independence have built democratic states with all the attributes of legitimate governments, have much more rights to lay claims to international recognition than, for instance, Kosovo.

The State Duma calls on the Parliaments of states-members of the United Nations Organization and international parliamentary organizations for supporting the recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia and Republic South Ossetia as full-fledged, sovereign and independent states.

Moscow, August 25, 2008.

(www.duma.ru)