STATEMENT OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION regarding the developments in Abkhazia

The situation in Abkhazia is raising concern in the Russian Federation. The entry of armed formations of the State Council of the Republic of Georgia in Abkhazia has entailed the military conflict and casualties among the civilians.

The agreements reached at the Moscow Summit on 3 September 1992 paved the way to the peaceful, civilized regulation of the conflict.

However, the cease-fire and other requirements of the Moscow Agreement have not been achieved yet. Still the violent acts are committed in the conflict zone against the peaceful population of Abkhazia. Among them there are thousands of people having ethnic roots from Russia. The number of refugees has considerably increased in the Southern part of the Russian Federation. The involvement of paramilitary volunteers in the conflict is another cause of concern. They are formed by the national and societal movements of some republics of the North Caucasus. This fact encourages to spreading the violence in the territory of the Russian Federation.

The Supreme Council of the Russian Federation:

condemns the acts of the leadership of Georgia, which tries to solve the difficult inter-ethnic problems through the violent means, and demands from the Georgian leadership to stop promptly the military actions, to withdraw the military formations from the territory of Abkhazia and to observe strictly the international instruments on human rights;

declares about necessity for further development of the Moscow Agreement and finds necessary to hold immediately the meeting of the leaders of Russia, Georgia, Abkhazia and also of the republics, regions and oblasts of the North Caucasus in order to decide the principal issue – ceasefire without any preconditions;

considers that the package of such agreements should imply the withdrawal of armed forces of the State Council of Georgia from the territory of Abkhazia. At the same time the volunteers armed formations and groups from the North Caucasus shall be disarmed, disbanded and withdrawn from Abkhazia and the peacekeeping forces of the CIS shall be deployed for securing the population’s security and a stable functioning of transport ways and the principal industrial entities. Such base may guarantee renewal of the work of legitimate authorities in Sukhimi, bring the refugees back and start normal life in Abkhazia.

The Supreme Council of the Russian Federation expresses its readiness to play the role of a mediator in the resolution of these issues.

Supreme Council of the Russian Federation.

Moscow, 25 September 1992

(Journal “Diplomaticheskiy Vestnik” /Diplomatic Messenger/, # 19-20, р. 26)