TREATY BETWEEN THE DEMOCRATIC
May 7, 1920
The Democratic Republic of Georgia and the
Russian Socialist Soviet Federation Republic animated by a common desire to
establish stable and peaceful relations between the two countries, in order to
assure the well-being of the populations of the respective countries have for
that purpose decided to conclude a special treaty, and have appointed as
plenipotentiaries:
the Government of the Democratic Republic of
Georgia – Mr. Gregoire Ourotadze,
and the government of the Russian Socialist Soviet Republic – Mr. Leon Mikhailovich Karakhan, Assistant
Commissar of Foreign Affairs, who after communicating to each other their full
powers found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon the following
articles:
Article I
Based on the right proclaimed by the Russian
Socialist Federated Soviet Republic of all peoples to fully dispose of
themselves to the extent of and including total withdrawal from the state of
which they form a part, Russia recognizes without reservations the independence
and the sovereignty of the Georgian State, and voluntarily renounces all
sovereign rights which belonged to Russia with respect to the Georgian people
and territory.
Article II
Based on the principles proclaimed in the
foregoing Article I
Article III
1. The state boundary between
2. All the passes situated on the
above-mentioned boundary line are declared neutral until
3. As regards Darial
pass ,neutralization provided for in paragraph 2 of the present article will
apply to that part of the hill comprised between Balta
and Kobi to Mamisson pass;
from Zaramag to Oni; and,
to all the other passes, for a distance of five versts
on each side of the boundary line.
4. The exact direction of the state boundary
between the two contracted parties will be determined by a special joint
boundary commission, composed of an equal number of representatives of each
party. The results of the work of this commission will be embodied in a special
treaty to be concluded between the two contracting parties.
Article IV
1. In addition to those parts of the Black Sea
Government awarded to Georgia by a provisions of paragraph 1 of Article III of
the present treaty, Russia agrees, without reservations, to recognize as being
comprised in the Georgian State the following governments and regions of the
former Russian Empire: Tiflis Koutais,
and Batum, with all the districts forming the said
governments and regions, and also the Zakataly and Soukhoum districts.
2. As soon as relations are established
hereafter between Georgia and states of other than Russia-states already
existing or that may be formed subsequently and bordering Georgia by other
frontiers than those defined in Article III of the present treaty, Russia
declares herself ready to recognize as belonging to Georgia such or much other
part of the former vice royalty of Caucasus as may accrue to her by a virtue of
treaties concluded with these states.
Article V
Acceding to Russia’s demand to effect that
there shall not be tolerated henceforth any military operations, quartering of
troops , nor any other acts likely to create a situation on Georgian territory
which might threaten her independence or be capable of transforming Georgia’s
territory into a base of operations directed against the public order there
established, Georgia agrees:
1. To immediately disarm and intern in
consecration camps on military or naval units, departments, and groups having
pretension to the role of Government of Russia or of her allies- who may be on
Georgia territory at the time of the signature of the present Treaty or who may
subsequently enter her territory.
2. To immediately disarm and intern the naval
vessels belonging to the organizations and groups mentioned in paragraph 1 of
the present article, which may be in the ports of Georgia, and also any
vessels, which for any reason whatsoever may be in these parts at the disposal
other said organizations and groups, The provisions of paragraph 1 of the
present article apply in their entirely to the crews of the said vessels.
3. To hand over to Russia without charge, and
with out demanding any compensations all, military and naval supplies without
exception, all securities and funds which may be on the possession, enjoyment,
or at the disposal of the organizations and groups mentioned in paragraph 1 of
the present article, and which in accordance with paragraph 1 and 2 of the same
Article, are to be placed at Georgia’s disposal. By the terms of the present
paragraph the following shall be considered as military and naval war
materials: Vessels and other floating material; all artillery, commissary
(including stocks of provisions and equipment), engineering, and aviation material
in general.
4. To deliver to
Note:
5. To take measures to send away from the
Georgian territory comprised within the boundaries fixed by Article IV of the
present treaty all troops and military detachments not forming part of the
national troops of Georgia.
6. To take steps to forbid the sojourning
hereafter on Georgian territory of the troops and military detachments
mentioned in paragraph 1 of the present Article.
7. To forbid any person belonging to the units, organizations and groups
enumerated in paragraphs 1 and 5 of the present article, in so far as said
persons are not of Georgian nationality, to enter, in any capacity whatsoever,
among others, as volunteers, the troops of the Government of Georgia.
8. Not to permit henceforth the formation and
sojourn on her territory within the boundaries fixed in Article IV of the
present Treaty, of any troops and organizations pretending to the role of
Government of Russia or any part thereof, or to the role of Government of Russia or that of her
allies; Georgia also agrees not to permit the transportation by the
above-mentioned organizations, groups, representations, and functionaries
across Georgian territory, of anything that could be utilized to attack Russia
or her allies , and also to prohibit the sojourn in her ports and waters of
vessels and other floating material belonging to the said organizations, except
in the case of vessels in distress and other cases provided for by
international law.
9. In case the organizations, groups,
representatives, or functionaries mentioned in the foregoing paragraph 8 of the
present Article should attempt to violate the interdiction stipulated in the
said paragraph 8, proceeding will be taken with respect to the persons and property
that the Georgian Government undertakes to arrest in accordance with the terms
of paragraph 8 of the present Article as stipulated in paragraphs 3 and 4 of
the said Article.
Article VI
Article VII
In order to avoid any misunderstanding , the
two contracting parties agree that at the time of the execution of paragraph 5
and 6 of Article V of the present Treaty in the parts of the territory accruing
to Georgia by the terms of paragraph 2 of Article IV of the said Treaty, after the delimitation
of the frontiers of Georgia and neighboring countries other than Russia, the
necessary measures of security in these cases shall be taken by Georgia within
the shortest possible time, once she shall have assumed formal exercise of her
sovereignty in such or such of the said territories.
Article VIII
A joint commission, composed of an equal number
of representatives of each party hereto, shall be appointed to see to the
strict enforcement of Articles V and VI of the present Treaty and to the
delivery and reception of the persons and property stipulated in paragraphs 3 and
4 of the said Article V. The commission shall itself determine its method of
procedure. The delivery and the reception of the persons and property specified
in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the said Article V of the present Treaty shall be
affected within a period of two months from the date of the signature of the
said Treaty.
Article IX
1. Persons of Georgian origin, residing on
Russian territory, and having reached the age of 18 years, shall have the right
to choose Georgian nationality. Likewise, persons, not of Georgian origin,
residing on Georgian territory, and having attained the age above mentioned,
shall be entitled to opt for Russian nationality.
2. The details relative to the enforcement of
the present Article shall be embodied in a special agreement to be concluded
between the two contracting parties.
3. The nationals of the two contracting
parties, who desire to take advantage of the rights conferred on them by the
provisions of the present Article, shall be required to comply with the
formalities to which they are subjected, within one year from the date of the
coming into force of the convention mentioned in the foregoing paragraph 2.
Article X
Note:
Article XI
Each of the contracting parties agrees to
recognize and to respect the flag and the arms of the other party hereto, as
being the emblem of a friendly state. The designs of the flags and the arms, as
well as any changes that may subsequently be made therein, shall be
communicated to the respective parties through diplomatic channels.
Article XII
Pending the conclusions between the two
contracting parties, of a treaty of ecommerce, the necessary measures for which
will be taken as soon as possible, the economic relations between
1. The two contracting parties lay down, as the
basis of the commercial relations, the principle of the most favored nation.
2. Goods whose origin or destination is one of
the contracting parties shall not be subjected by the other party to any duty
or transit tax.
Article XIII
The provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of the foregoing
Article XII shall serve as the basis of the treaty of commerce which is to be
concluding between the contracting parties, in accordance with the terms of the
said Article XII.
Article XIV
Diplomatic and consular relations between
Article XV
The settlement of questions arising in the
domain of public of private rights between the citizens of the two contracting
parties and the settlement of certain special questions between the two States
shall be entrusted to special Russo – Georgian joint commissions, which shall
be appointed as soon as possible after the signature of the present treaty. The
compositions, rights and the duties of the said commissions shall be determined
by special instructions drawn up for each commission as may be agreed upon by
the two contracting parties. The jurisdiction of the said commissions shall
extend, among other matters, to the following:
1. Formulation of the Treaty of commerce and
other economic agreements.
2. Settlement of questions concerning the
distribution of the archives and the disposition of current matters,
administration and legal records, and social State documents in the formal
central institutions.
3. Settlement of the question of the method of
utilization, possession, and disposition of the Batum
–
Article XVI
The present Treaty becomes effective from the
very fact of its signature, without any special ratification being necessary.
In witness where of the plenipotentiaries of the two parties have with their
own hands signed the present treaty and affixed thereunto their seals.
Done in duplicate at
Signatures:
G. Ouratadze.
L. Karakhan.
(Democratic Republic of Georgia. 1919-1921.Three historic documents. Preface
and compilation by G. Sharadze. Editor D. Djaparidze,