“Regaining justice”

On June 2 Lithuania’s Seimas approved a resolution in support of Georgia. For the first time an official document of a European state called the war in South Ossetia in August 2008, a Russian aggression, the former autonomies – occupied Georgian territories, and the recognition of their sovereignty – an illegitimate act. Out of 141 MPs, the document was supported by 55, nine voted against, and 23 refrained from voting. The MPs supported the return of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to the Georgian government’s control. They opine that “a model of autonomy acceptable for the local residents” should be proposed. The MPs confirmed that they consider the Russian resolution, recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, illegitimate.

It will be reminded that the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, who declared their independence from Georgia back in the early 1990s was recognized by Russia in 2008, after the Russian-Georgian war. Later these republics were recognized by several states, including Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru. As previously, Tbilisi officially considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be Georgian territories, which remain “occupied by Russian armed forces.”

Speaker of Georgian Parliament David Bakradze has already expressed his gratitude to Lithuanian people and Seimas. “The resolution passed by the Lithuanian MPs is very important for regaining justice in the occupied territories,” he said and underlined that “he expects other countries to recognize the occupation of the Georgian territory.”

Without doubt, this resolution has been helpful for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili who is now on a visit to Romania and is going to France. It is not excluded that he will ask the master of the Elysee Palace, who in August 2008 signed “The Plan on Regulation of the Military Conflict in Georgia” with RF President Dmitry Medvedev, Why does not Russia fulfill the agreement’s clause on withdrawal of its troops to the positions from Aug. 8, 2008, i.e., before the war broke out, but, conversely, is reinforcing its military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia?

As is known, Ukraine has no intention to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “For us the issue of territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders is a matter of principle” was the answer of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko to Kommersant-Ukraina’s question whether there is any possibility that Ukraine recognizes the independence of these two breakaway republics.

COMMENTS

Andro BARNOV, Chairman of the Georgian Institute of Strategy and Development, Tbilisi:

“I guess it’s already time to recognize the reality. If to come logically to the matter and simply describe the situation, it will be clear that these territories are indeed occupied. There are simply many countries that are still sticking to political correctness. In the light of the regulation of their relations with Moscow they are seemingly not hurrying to admit the reality. Approaching the issue in essence, in my opinion, they should have long ago made up their minds.

“Of course, the resolution of the Lithuanian Seimas is useful for Georgia, because an occupation regime is always a temporary one. So, all of this is important for the development of the situation in the Caucasus.

“I don’t think that the decision made by Lithuanian Seimas was linked to Saakashvili’s scheduled visits to Romania and France.

“In what regards the possible adoption of such resolutions by other parliaments, I don’t think there is any alternative to this. Perhaps, this will happen eventually, because nobody is going to recognize these regimes. The alternative to acknowledgment, of course, is the recognition of the occupation. I think this is a matter of time.”

Semen NOVOPRUDSKY, deputy head of the chief editor of the newspaper Vremya novostey, Moscow:

“It seems to me this resolution won’t have any crucial influence on relations between Lithuania and Russia, because Moscow does not view Vilnius as an important partner. There are no big oil-and-gas deals between Russia and Lithuania. And everything that has no connection with oil and gas is hardly a matter of Russian political elite’s interest. It seems to me that Russia is content with the EU’s reaction both to the RF’s domestic and foreign policy, including Georgia.

“Another thing is that the Georgian problem may be used by some in Lithuania and in other Baltic states in case new complications emerge in relations between Russia and Georgia, or, for example, when considering the new basic agreement between the EU and Russia. It is clear that Lithuania is dangerous for the Russian authorities in this regard, because Riga may use similar grounds for blocking the agreement.

“Lithuania may become one of the most important countries for Russia, if Russian elite is really eager to activate work on a visa-waiver regime. Lithuania and other Baltic states, and partially Poland, are the key opponents to the total cancellation of visas for Russian citizens.

“On the other hand, at the moment the world cannot be expected to come back to the topic of Russo-Georgian conflict. The situation will develop in line with the situation in Georgia. In this sense, the fact that Saakashvili gained a very confident victory in local elections is much more important. Even the Georgian opposition has begun to recognize that it stands no chance in removing him from his position until his term ends. Besides, the recognition is growing that Russia, in its turn, is not able to cope with the problem of the revival of South Ossetia. A direct conflict is going on there between South Ossetia’s president and prime minister delegated by Russia. Even the residents of South Ossetia can see the difference in how Georgian refuges from South Ossetia and they themselves live after the war. These factors have more impact on the development of the situation than any political statements.

“It’s quite unlikely that we will see a chain reaction of approvals of similar resolutions in other European countries. This topic is out of focus in EU countries. I doubt that there will be a wave of such resolutions. Apparently, the European Union is pursuing a policy of achieving a sort of reconciliation, without moving towards Russia.”

Oleksandr SUSHKO, head of the Center of Peace, Conversion, and External Policy of Ukraine:

“Every country uses the instruments it has. Ukraine has not been able to adopt any resolutions even in different political times, when the discussion of this question was in parliament in August 2008. And it is quite unrealistic to expect anything of this kind to happen today.

“This is an absolutely sovereign and well-awaited stand of Lithuania, as an independent state holding to certain views in international affairs.

“I wish Georgia to see a chain reaction, as is expected in Tbilisi. But Ukraine is absolutely off the chart in the given situation.”