Press Digest 24 12 2014
Russia to seize yet another Georgian region
Is UN a paper tiger? Will their resolution bring us tangible results?
Russia to seize yet another Georgian region "After Abkhazia, the Kremlin plans to gobble up the region of South Ossetia by assuming control of its armed forces and security service agencies. In addition, the Russian authorities are going to increase pensions and salaries of residents of the Tskhinvali region," reports the Rezonansi newspaper.
As the Russian President’s aide Vladislav Surkov says, the agreement on "Alliance and Cooperation" between the two parties will be drafted by the end of January. De-facto government of Tskhinvali has already published the content of the agreement, comprised of 16 points. According to the document, the Russian Federation appreciates the so-called republic’s readiness to cooperate with the Russian authorities and expresses its readiness to broaden relations even further.
In their words, the deal is being completed between two equal states and any military intervention in either country will be viewed as an attack on the other. The document provides that the military forces as well as security service agencies of South Ossetia will be entirely controlled by Russia; likewise, their Defense and Internal Ministries will also be united.
The region of Tskhinvali will allow Russia to control its customs traffic and defend its borders. Regulations on obtaining Russian citizenship will also be relaxed. In addition, the Russian side assumes responsibility for advancing region’s economy; they plan to allocate funds to the region for this purpose, says the article.
As expert in Caucasus affairs Mamuka Areshidze claims, after completion of the deal, the region will lose its autonomy. "Moscow just aims to strip autonomy from the region. This is what makes the treaty different from that of Abkhazia’s. As you know, the Abkhazian people instantly rejected the first version of the agreement.
But after this new deal is negotiated, Russia will seize control of the entire region. Even border guards will be Russian. The Russian leadership knows perfectly well that the Ossetians have nothing against this; therefore they won’t stand on ceremony and are going to honor this agreement for an indefinite period of time," asserts Mr. Areshidze.
In the words of the expert, this deal will enable the Kremlin to achieve its goal and annex Georgia without violating its internationally recognized borders. "Thus, Russia will run with hare and hunt with hounds, telling both the international community and the Georgian authorities that the region is not being annexed, while this is exactly what will happen," contends the expert.
Is UN a paper tiger? Will their resolution bring us tangible results?
"On 22 December, representatives of Lithuania, the UK and U.S. condemned the so called agreement on Alliance and Strategic partnership between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway enclave of Abkhazia. The same day, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili thanked the foreign leaders for their readiness to support our country," reports the Alia newspaper."In the present state of play, when 20 percent of Georgia’s territory is in the hands of the occupant and thousands of refugees live in our country in entirely unbearable conditions, support from the members of the UN Security Council is paramount for us, reads the President’s statement.
"What will this resolution bring us? Will their readiness to denounce the deal change anything in the end? All of us would like to have some answers to these questions. However, one thing is clear – similar resolutions have never foiled Russia’s plans or deterred its aggression.
The Alia newspaper has discussed this issue with political expert Soso Tsintsadze, according to whom, generally, only tangible results matter in politics.
"The United Nations as well as the entire world have already condemned Russia’s move to recognize the independence of Georgia’s breakaway regions. Has this condemnation ultimately changed anything? No, it has not, which is why I completely stopped giving any regard to their eagerness to denounce such treaties as illegal," contends the expert.
"You know, this procedure is nothing more than a ritual. For instance, we Georgians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. But do all of us believe in His resurrection? Many of us don’t but we still paint Easter eggs and celebrate the event. To cut it short, these condemnations are ordinary rituals. Therefore, I would advise you to come down to earth and face reality," concludes the expert.
