Saakashvili not happy with Ban Ki-moon report
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, June 9
President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has expressed his dissatisfaction with the version of the report on Abkhazia submitted to the Security Council by Secretary-General of the UN Ban Ki-moon on May 19. The report does not mention Georgia in its title, whereas all previous documents used the formula Abkhazia (Georgia).
On June 15, just a week from now, the Security Council will discuss the issue of prolonging the UN observers’ mandate in the Abkhazian conflict zone. The position of Georgian officials suggests that taking a decision will not be easy.
Immediately after the first draft of the report was made public Georgian envoy to the UN Kakha Lomaia suggested that it was drafted under Russian pressure and that Moscow had blackmailed the Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon categorically denied these allegations but was not too convincing. It is known that the Kremlin was ready to boycott the Geneva peace talks and Ban Ki-moon submitted this document in a last minute attempt to please Moscow and ensure the talks continued. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin welcomed the formula used in the document’s title, saying that it was acceptable for both the Abkhazian and Russian sides, highlighting that by using this form of words the UN had indirectly admitted Abkahzia and South Ossetia to be independent entities.
It is obvious to all that Russia is trying in every way possible to legalise its criminal activities and obtain de jure status for its puppet regimes on Georgian territory. We should admit that Russia’s pressure has yielded “successful results” so far. One of these is that the report has created a new wave of criticism from the Georgian opposition, which has accused the Saakashvili administration of ensuring the final defeat of the country’s foreign policy. However Saakashvili has stated that any solution to the problem in which Georgia does not regain control of its breakaway territories is unacceptable, although he linked this with consolidating his rule of Georgia.
It should be mentioned that Georgia’s international status has deteriorated considerably since the August war. By means of various manipulations Russia has slowly promoted its subversive position, having already managed to secure the withdrawal of the OSCE mission observers from South Ossetia because this organisation refused to either rename its mission or run two separate missions. Probably the UN observers’ mission in Abkhazia (Georgia) will share the OSCE mission’s fate if the UN does not adopt and stick to a more principled position.
Saakashvili is optimistic, having said recently that Georgia has very serious support at the UN. However this statement will remain just words if Georgia does not receive support from the majority of UN members, and June 15 is fast approaching.
On June 15, just a week from now, the Security Council will discuss the issue of prolonging the UN observers’ mandate in the Abkhazian conflict zone. The position of Georgian officials suggests that taking a decision will not be easy.
Immediately after the first draft of the report was made public Georgian envoy to the UN Kakha Lomaia suggested that it was drafted under Russian pressure and that Moscow had blackmailed the Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon categorically denied these allegations but was not too convincing. It is known that the Kremlin was ready to boycott the Geneva peace talks and Ban Ki-moon submitted this document in a last minute attempt to please Moscow and ensure the talks continued. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin welcomed the formula used in the document’s title, saying that it was acceptable for both the Abkhazian and Russian sides, highlighting that by using this form of words the UN had indirectly admitted Abkahzia and South Ossetia to be independent entities.
It is obvious to all that Russia is trying in every way possible to legalise its criminal activities and obtain de jure status for its puppet regimes on Georgian territory. We should admit that Russia’s pressure has yielded “successful results” so far. One of these is that the report has created a new wave of criticism from the Georgian opposition, which has accused the Saakashvili administration of ensuring the final defeat of the country’s foreign policy. However Saakashvili has stated that any solution to the problem in which Georgia does not regain control of its breakaway territories is unacceptable, although he linked this with consolidating his rule of Georgia.
It should be mentioned that Georgia’s international status has deteriorated considerably since the August war. By means of various manipulations Russia has slowly promoted its subversive position, having already managed to secure the withdrawal of the OSCE mission observers from South Ossetia because this organisation refused to either rename its mission or run two separate missions. Probably the UN observers’ mission in Abkhazia (Georgia) will share the OSCE mission’s fate if the UN does not adopt and stick to a more principled position.
Saakashvili is optimistic, having said recently that Georgia has very serious support at the UN. However this statement will remain just words if Georgia does not receive support from the majority of UN members, and June 15 is fast approaching.