APPEAL OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLIES AND PARLIAMENTS OF FRIENDLY STATES

The Parliament of Georgia expresses deep concern regarding the Statements of State Assembly of the Russian Federation of December 6, 2006 “On results of the Referendum, Organized on November 12, 2006 in South Ossetia regarding the Issue of Granting It Independence and On Results of Presidential Elections of South Ossetia” and “On Appeal of People’s Assembly – Parliament of Republic of Abkhazia to the President of Russian Federation and Federal Assembly regarding Recognition of Independence of Republic of Abkhazia and Establishment of Associate Relations between the Russian Federation and Republic of Abkhazia.”

From the point of view of International Law noe of the mentioned statements represents legally binding and valuable document, correspondingly, they can be assessed only as an extremely confrontational political step against Georgia, which sets as its objective provocing of the Georgian side, escalating the situation and impeding the unified international efforts in conflict settlement process.

It is a matter of concern that power organs of the Russian Federation are in coordinated and consistent manner going beyond the boundaries of actions, characteristic for the democratic state and are returning to the style of behavior that should have been left to the past after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of “Cold War.” Attempts, to join the territories of neighboring small states and to change unilaterally the boundaries are not at all in compliance with modern, established democratic standards and in fact, they make impossible long-term cooperation with Russia, as with reliable partner.

We would like to draw the special attention of International Community to the fact that in the role of inciter and encourager of aggressive separatism is a country, which is formally a guarantor of peace process, “objective and neutral mediator” and peacekeeping contingent of which is stationed in both territorial conflict zones of Georgia.

Statements of the State Assembly of the Russian Federation once more demonstrate fairness of Georgia’s demands to internationalize the process of conflict settlement; at the same time, more than once has become evident how difficult and devoid of results is direct dialogue on this issue with Russia, towards what have been appealing to Georgia its friendly countries and Georgia itself has always been supporting this idea.

It is a matter of regret that State Assembly of the Russian Federation is completely ignorant of to destiny of hundreds of thousands of people, refugees and IDPs from the conflict zones, an only” guilt” of them is their ethnic origin. Attempts to legitimize the results of ethnic cleansing, the mentioned statements are the example of the abovementioned, create extremely dangerous precedent to International Community and the results will be negatively returned to Russia itself.

Although it is unrealistic to ask protection of refugees’ Human Rights from the Power Organ, by whose immediate support, at present, in front of everyone, on the territory of Russia is going on xenophobic, anti-Georgian campaign and the lives of several absolutely innocent people have been sacrificed to it.

The Parliament of Georgia declares that Georgian authorities will not respond to provocative statements and actions of the Russian Federation, the aim of which is to create a ground for the possible armed provocation, to transfer the conflict settlement process to confrontational regime and to discredit Georgia before the world. Georgia is firmly going on its way of democracy building and EuroAtlantic integration process.

Georgian authorities will do their best for the peaceful settlement of the territorial conflicts, for improvement of relations with our Abkhaz and Ossetian compatriots and for provision of their rights within boundaries of unified Georgia. It does not matter how hard our ill-wishers will try, united, democratic and European values-based Georgia has no alternative. We believe that all our friends, interested international organizations and states will support us on the hard but only dignified way of struggling for common democratic and fair values.

Tbilisi, December 7, 2006

(Archive of the Parliament of Georgia/Translation from Georgian)