Official Tbilisi condemns Russia's planned treaty with South Ossetia

Georgian Foreign Ministry calls on the international community to take all possible measures to prevent the annexation of Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (so-called South Ossetia) by Russia.

Ministry strongly condemned the draft of new treaty between Russia and Tskhinvali region in the special statement released today.

"It is decisive to have the strong and unite support of the international community to stop continuing Russian military aggression, occupation and finally annexation,” says the statement.

Official Tbilisi assesses proposed "so-called treaty" as the annexation of the Georgian territory and the violation of the international law.

"Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) is the part of the Georgian territory and illegal military invasion or any other form of integration of the Russian Federation there is the act of aggression, occupation and de facto annexation which stands against the Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” statement read.

"The treaty is the continuation of the Russian aggression which started in the beginning of the 90thand last till the occupation of the Georgian territories in 2008. So-called treaty also violates the responsibility took by Russia in 2008 according to the ceasefire agreement.”

"The draft of so-called treaty assumes the full integration of the occupied Tskhinvali region into the Russian Federation,” is underlined in the statement.

Ministry emphasises the main "illegal” points of the new agreement:

• Agreed "domestic” and "foreign” policy;
• Russia provides defence and safety of so-called South Ossetia, including the so-called "border”;
• Armed force and state security services of so-called South Ossetia will become a part of the Russian federal armed force and security service;
• Cancellation of the customs points at so called border between Russia and South Ossetia da free movement through it;
• Tskhinvali "puppet regime” intend to give all power in the custom issue to Russia and unite South Ossetian custom service with the Russian custom;
• Russian legislation will be spread on territory of Tskhinvali region regarding economic, educational, social, cultural and the other spheres.

Meanwhile Russian President’s aide Vladislav Surkov who is on a working visit to Tskhinvali confirmed in the interview to the Russian news agency Itar Tass that the work on a new treaty on allied relations and integration between Russia and so-called South Ossetia will be over by late January 2015.

"The difficult economic situation in Russia will be no obstacle for fulfilling its liabilities, since we cannot let down our strategic partners,” he stressed.

"The treaty will entail additional liabilities, including material, and Russia is ready to sustain them,” said Russian top official.