The August crisis in the Caucasus – a year after

On the 8^th of August, the day the conflict in the Caucasus started a year ago, it is with sorrow we recall the memory of victims of these dramatic events - hundreds of South Ossetians, Russian peacekeepers, all those who suffered from Georgian aggression. By taking an irresponsible and criminal decision to attack Tshinval on the first day of the Olympics-2008, president Saakashvili has also crossed out 17 years of difficult political negotiations, the sufficiently successful work of the Joint supervisory commission, the efforts of the OSCE Mission, as well as the uneasy task of the Russian, Ossetian and Georgian peacekeepers. Thousands of peacefully sleeping people of different nationalities, including Georgian, became a target of Georgian shells and mines.

It is not a secret that the order to attack the breakaway region of South Ossetia on the night of August 8, 2008 was given by Mr.Saakashvili despite numerous warnings to Tbilisi from the international community, including Russia, USA and representatives of the OSCE mission, not to use force. It was repeatedly underlined to Tbilisi that the use of force will put an end to territorial integrity of Georgia, as it will leave no other choice to the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia who have suffered more than enough under the irresponsible rule based on the idea of “Georgia for Georgians”. Breaking a promise never to use weapons against its own people, Mr.Saakashvili knew exactly that such a crime in the Caucasus is remembered for centuries and that Georgian authorities were jeopardizing the territorial integrity of the country.

As a result of Georgian invasion, 162 Ossetian civilians and 48 Russian servicemen, including peacekeepers, were killed, 255 civilians and 162 servicemen received health damages, all in all 5143 inhabitants of South Ossetia have suffered. This tragedy is well documented, interalia there are more than 3300 applications from inhabitants of South Ossetia who suffered from invasion, demanding to prosecute Georgian leadership. These applications are being considered by the International criminal court and the European court of human rights.

It is our firm belief that there is no justification to the crimes and atrocities committed by the current Georgian regime against the people of South Ossetia.

Georgian leadership is trying now to present things as if they were “provoked” to start the war. However, the facts are not in their favor. There are documents in the possession of the Russian side that were captured during the military operation (detailed aerial photography of locations, topographic maps, military-staff plans, orders and other documents). According to these materials, the staff of Georgian armed forces had a plan of invasion worked out beforehand, which envisaged the destruction of villages where Ossetian nationality was prevailing. The headquarters and ordnance yard of the Russian peacekeepers, the House of government of the republic and a television tower in Tshinval were chosen as artillery targets. So, the question is how one could “provoke” Tbilisi to elaborate such plans.

Offensive actions were planned with the use of mortar rockets that leads to mass destruction of population and objects of life-support.

The engagement of the Russian armed forces in South Ossetia in these conditions was absolutely legitimate from the viewpoint of the right of self-defence fixed in Article 51 of the UN Charter. This was carried out in order to provide security guarantees for the population of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After the end of the operation Russian forces have been withdrawn from territory of Georgia in strict compliance with the settlement plan of Presidents D.A.Medvedev of Russia and N.Sarkozy of France.

Unfortunately, a year after the tragedy occurred the situation is still unstable. Georgian leadership is continuing to provoke tensions in the region. Moreover, disturbing attempts of Mr.Saakashvili to remilitarize the country are being supported by a number of countries, including members of NATO. Under such circumstances Russia cannot ignore the issue of security. Stability in the South Caucasus region is a matter of our own strategic security. It is our top priority to provide security of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the basis of Medvedev-Sarkozy plan. And it is for these purposes that the interstate agreements between Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the sphere of military cooperation and protection of borders, which fully respond to Medvedev-Sarkozy plan and to international law regulations, were signed. The core of the agreements is that South Ossetia and Abkhazia temporarily (before forming their own border security structures) delegate powers to the Russian side in managing the protection of their borders with Georgia.

This is an important step in stabilizing situation on the borders and preventing provocations. It is aimed at the establishment of normal functioning border regime in compliance with universal international practice. The positive effect from deploying Russian border guards on borders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia is obvious. They counter drug-trafficking, arms smuggling, organized crime, and, in general, reinforce law and order. It goes without saying that this is not connected in any way with mythical intentions of Russia to annex South Ossetia and Abkhazia. We support the establishment of a clear order in border zones and our military presence in these states is a crucial deterrent to revanchist and provocative aspirations of Tbilisi.

In this context it is surprising that a number of governments positively react to Georgian plans of remilitarizing the country. Moreover, there is a tendency to conceal military cooperation with Georgia by camouflaging it as a «humanitarian aid in overcoming consequences of the conflict». We can not regard this as anything else but a political short-sightedness. Further assistance in restoring Georgian military machine only encourages official Tbilisi to continue its aggressive course and policy of threats towards its neighbours. Sadly, not everybody understands the risk of such support. Georgian opposition rallies and aggravating internal political instability in Georgia only confirm serious systematic failures in state functioning of Georgia.

Given all this, Russia considers essentially important that proper lessons should be learned from the events of August, 2008. It is necessary to recognize the obvious: because of the war unleashed by current Georgian leadership chances to forge relations with Abkhazians and Ossetians in the borders of a single state are finally crossed out and irreversibly lost. Of course, these peoples will still live side by side with Georgians as it has been in the course of centuries, therefore there is no alternative to adjustment of neighbourly relations, only this must be done on a different – interstate - basis.

There is a clear necessity to recognize new realities, which have developed in the Caucasus, with an aim to start common work on stabilization of the situation in the region. In this respect we are opened to constructive cooperation with the international community, as well as with any responsible leadership in Tbilisi.

In conclusion we would like to thank all those in the Netherlands who offered their aid and support to the victims of the Georgian aggression in August last year.

Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands