TSKHINVAL, September 16. /ITAR-TASS/. A leading official of the South Ossetian republic, a scene of the 2008 Georgian aggression, warned on Tuesday of dangers in arming neighboring Georgia with NATO weapons.
"Any military support rendered to Georgia [from which the territory has broken away] is a disturbing factor for us," said Murat Dzhioyev, the South Ossetian president's special representative on settlement of post-conflict issues on Tuesday.
Georgian troops had used Western weapons against the Russia-recognized republic's people during the 2008 aggression, Dzhioyev said, cautioning on rapprochement between Georgia and the North Atlantic military alliance and reflecting on a co-operation package given to Georgia during the bloc's recent summit in Wales.
Dzhioyev spoke as a delegation from the European Union (EU), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN) arrived in Tskhinval, the capital of South Ossetia, on Tuesday. These met to discuss agenda items for an October 7-8 meeting in Geneva to address the issue of non-use of force by Georgia against South Ossetia and its neighbouring Abkhazia.
The Geneva meeting will continue a series of discussions under way since the end of 2008 hostilities. Delegations will gather from Abkhazia, Russia, South Ossetia and the United States, joining representatives of the EU, the OSCE and the UN. Discussions there were "crucial" said Jioev, "to ensure that neither of the states resort to arms".
Security in the region was an important priority of OSCE work, said Angelo Gnaedinger, representing the security body. Debate aimed to preserve stability and promote joint efforts to overcome difficulties, he added.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/749796
16/9/14
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Georgia’s NATO bid prompts new treaty between Abkhazia, Russia, says foreign minister ...
ReplyDeleteA new treaty under way between Russia and Abkhazia is prompted by an aggressive policy of Georgia, Abkhazian Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Chirikba told Abkhazian television on Saturday.
“Security in the southern flank is very important for Abkhazia and Russia. We are on the same page here,” the foreign minister said in comments on a draft treaty on alliance and integration.
“We must act together, as Georgia plans accession to NATO, and the U.S. is actively lobbying Georgia’s membership of the North Atlantic Alliance,” Chirikba said.
“Many high-ranking officials from NATO visit Georgia for talks. We don’t know the subject matter of the talks but it is clear that they are preparing their structure and personnel for NATO membership,” he said, adding that this would be a direct threat to Abkhazia and Russia.
“If Georgia were a peaceful country, there would be no need for such large-scale treaties,” he said. The new document would have a lot in common with the previous treaty of 2008, he said.
“On the whole, a need for a new agreement is clear as the situation is changing for the worse,” he said, citing a difficult situation in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in Syria and Iraq.
Abkhazia sought independence from Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Deterioration of relations between Georgia and Abkhazia reached its peak in the 1990s and led to armed clashes that left about 20,000 people killed. In 1994, Abkhazia adopted its own constitution and declared independence from Georgia. A referendum in 1999 supported the republic’s statehood, but it was never accepted by the international community.
In early August 2008 when Georgia attacked South Ossetia, Abkhazia backed Russia’s operation to coerce Georgia into peace and asked Moscow to recognize its sovereignty. After the 2008 conflict, Moscow declared that it would formally recognize the independence of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Venezuela, Nicaragua and the tiny Pacific island of Nauru followed suit in recognizing Abkhazia, but the rest of the world considers both territories part of Georgia.
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/756498
25/10/14
Georgia claims NATO ties have no goal of deploying alliance’s military infrastructure...
ReplyDeleteTbilisi’s cooperation with NATO is not aimed at placing the military infrastructure of the North-Atlantic Alliance in Georgia, the country’s prime minister’s special representative for relations with Russia said on Thursday.
"Georgia as an independent state has the right to cooperate with any international organization, including NATO," Zurab Abashidze said, assuring that "this cooperation with NATO is not aimed at placing the alliance’s military infrastructure in the country."
Meanwhile, following a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission in Brussels on February 5, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced plans of active military construction in Georgia.
A team of experts will be sent to advise Georgia’s authorities on defense reforms, and a Joint Training Center in Tbilisi will be set up, where "NATO troops, Georgian troops and forces from partner nations will train and exercise together," Stoltenberg said...............http://tass.ru/en/world/778595
19/2/15