GEORGIA: Georgian Parliament demands removal of Russian troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Georgia's parliament on Tuesday (July 18) demanded Russian troops stationed in breakaway regions leave and be replaced by an international force, saying their presence amounted to "annexation" and "support of separatism". Tbilisi accuses Moscow of stirring tensions in the rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- home to "frozen conflicts" dating back to the collapse of the Soviet Union. "We will be happy to have these ideas and these decisions implemented as soon as possible. As for deadline, we don't need any deadline, because they may bring unnecessary nervousness and may not bring the right result," said Kote Gabashvili, head of the parliament's International Committee, after the vote was passed. On Sunday (July 16), President Mikhail Saakashvili warned Russia that Georgia could block its entry into the World Trade Organisation if it does not end its support for the two regions. The resolution, which is not binding and has no deadline, condemned the peacekeeping operations, describing "the actions of Russia as a constant attempt at annexation of these parts of the territory of Georgia". "The actions of Russia's military forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are one of the main barriers to a peaceful resolution of the conflicts, caused by the absence of political will in Russia to promote the process of the peaceful resolution," the parliament said in the resolution. Russia considers the troops to be key to stopping a resumption of the wars that gripped the regions in 1992-3. Members of a Russian youth party protested on Tuesday (July 18) outside Georgia's embassy. Chanting 'Russia, Russia', they blamed Saakashvili for heading an anti-Russian policy. "The Georgian authorities today are practising terrorism. It does not only concern South Ossetia, but also Russia. We don't need a second terrorist region after Chechnya next to us. We used to have it in the nineties and we might return to that situation today. At the same time Georgia is making constantly unfriendly announcements, detaining our diplomats and officials and behaves itself as an enemy state of Russia," said Sergei Shergunov, one of the protesters and leader of the party. In Moscow, a military commander defied Georgia's parliament demand, saying the Russian troops are vital for peace in the region. "As soon as Russian soldiers leave the territory, the bloodshed will happen again. There is peace there as long as Russian soldiers are there. Our goal is not to protect some kind of territory, but prevent it from bloodshed," Valery Yevnevich, deputy commander of ground forces told journalists at a news conference. "If the decision will be taken by the joint control commission or by the head of the CIS states, as happened in Abkhazia, or by four party commission, to prolong or cancel our mandate, then we as military people will follow the order. These kind of decisions have not been taken so far. Despite Georgia's parliament appeal today, we will only start acting after orders mentioned above," he said. The rebel regions also refuse to countenance the troops leaving, seeing them as defence against Georgian attack. Sergei Shamba, Abkhazia's foreign minister, told Interfax news agency after the vote that the vote was an 'irresponsible and thoughtless step' by Georgia on the way to a military resolution of the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia repeatedly warned over the weekend that Georgia was planning to send troops to regain control of South Ossetia, which receives financial support from Moscow and where most residents have been given Russian passports. It warned that attacks would not go unanswered. Georgia, a former Soviet republic long in Moscow's shadow, has increasingly sought to disassociate itself from the Kremlin since a peaceful revolution in 2003 brought the west-leaning Saakashvili to power.

ITN Source | July 19, 2006

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