Georgia urges international society to stop Russia's “illegal actions”

Georgia will ask the United Nations (UN) to convene a Security Council meeting to discuss the 'Treaty on Alliance and Strategic Partnership” signed today between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.

"A step forward towards de-facto annexation” was how Georgia’s Government assessed the so-called treaty and called on the international community to once again condemn the "illegal document”.

In a statement issued this evening, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said Georgia would never give up on its principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity and it would never compromise in this issue.

"And the quality of normalasing Georgia-Russia relations is determined by Russia’s respect towards this principle,” the PM said. 

He added Moscow initiated the agreement with Georgia’s breakaway region despite Russian officials often expressing their will to normalise relations with Georgia. The same thought was shared by other Georgian officials.

Georgia's Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili held a special briefing this evening and said the Russia-Abkhaz agreement was a violation by Russia of its obligations according to the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, which was implemented after the Russia-Georgia war.

She said the signing of such a document would negatively effect security issues in Georgia’s occupied territories as well as in Europe on a larger scale.

The Minister said this document had no legal force therefore it would never be recognised by the international community.

"Despite this, we called on our international partners to once again condemn this action. Signing of the so-called treaty is Russia’s purposeful step against Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”

Beruchashvili said Georgia firmly stood on its path  towards European and Euro-Atlantic institutions and the country would do its best to open this perspective for its occupied regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as well.

The Georgian Minister said Georgia demanded a UN Security Council meeting to be held as well as an OSCE special council meeting to be convened about the issue. She said special meetings needed to be held within the European Union, European Council and NATO too.

"Georgia is firmly asking its international partners to call on Russia to give up on its actions that violate international law norms,” Beruchashvili said. 

Meanwhile, the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly released a statement about the Russian Federation-proposed 'Alliance and Strategic Partnership' treaty. The statement said the Baltic Assembly was "deeply concerned” by the Russian-elaborated and imposed treaty with the Georgian region of Abkhazia.

"We reiterate our full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders,” the Assembly said.

"We underline that such measures violate territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and contradicts the principles of international law, OSCE principles and Russia’s international commitments made in 2008.”

The statement also said actions by Russia would entail "imminent implications" on the security and stability on the ground and wider region and would not contribute to the peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict.

The Baltic Assembly called on Russia to stop its provocative actions against Georgia, withdraw the so-called "treaty” and fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008 and its subsequent implementing measures of 8 September 2008, including constructive participation in the Geneva International Discussions and free access of the European Union Monitoring Mission to the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.

The 'Alliance and Strategic Partnership' treaty was signed by the Russian President and de-facto Abkhazian President in the Russian town of Sochi earlier today.