STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA

The entry of limited forces of the Soviet regular Army in Tskhinvali is a gross violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Georgia. Before that action we hoped that the leadership of the USSR would refrain from further destabilization of the situation in the said region.

The Soviet and the World communities know well about the tragic results of the “limited contingent” in Afghanistan. We have our own “experience” of using the military against the people. The dictatorship and totalitarian regime that flourished over the decades drove the country to the material and spiritual poverty; however, the authorities blamed “external enemies” in every misfortune. Lately, in the circumstances of economic devastation, the "internal enemy" is cultivated in a form of democratic movement. Such definition is used against the nations, which try to realize the right to the self-identification.

The new democratic republic of Georgia did not declare immediate withdrawal from the USSR, although it had such right under the Union Constitution. Georgia committed itself to maintain the economic and other ties with the other Union Republics during the transitional period.

Moreover, we have stated several times that even after gaining the full independence we would support the economic and cultural ties with our immediate neighbours – Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, also with other republics.

We believed that the Union leaders would take proper stance to our constructive position; however, the latter have stronger inclination towards the “forcible” resolution of political, economic, social and national problems of the country. It seems that the certain groups have decided to deviate the attention of the Soviet peoples from empty counters, mass-demonstrations and strikes penetrating the entire country, to creating a new Afghanistan on the Georgian soil.

We believe that the Government of the USSR will demonstrate the wisdom in the critical situation and will not start new intervention against Georgia, also the civil war in his own country.

The Presidium of the Republic of Georgia.

Tbilisi, 6 April 1991

(The Bulletins of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia, # 4, 1991. p. 99-100)