Georgia September 2008 Daily Chronology
Tuesday 30 September 2008
Russia's military says European Union peacekeepers will not have immediate access to the buffer zone surrounding South Ossetia when their mission in Georgia begins Wednesday. A spokesman for Russian forces in South Ossetia, Vitaly Mauchko, told reporters Tuesday the monitors can patrol up to the southern limit of the Russian-controlled security zone. Russia had already said it will refuse peacekeepers access into South Ossetia itself, or into Abkhazia. Moscow has recognized both regions as independent states, rather than Georgian territory.
Monday 29 September 2008
The Bureau of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) hasn't supported sanctions against its Russian members following the conflict in South Ossetia, says the head of Russia's delegation, Konstantin Kosachev. Earlier, 24 PACE members called for the suspension of Russia's powers in the Assembly. "All the participants of the meeting were against any sanctions in respect of either the Russian or the Georgian delegation. Those who signed the draft resolution have put the Assembly in an uncomfortable position," Kosachev said.
Saturday 27 September 2008
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed U.S. "unipolar" policies in Iraq and Afghanistan and said they contributed to the recent conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi over Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia. Addressing the UN General Assembly, Lavrov said that the U.S.-led war in Iraq had delivered a painful blow to global anti-terrorism measures. He also questioned the NATO-led efforts in Afghanistan to fight Taliban militants. "The illusion of a unipolar world confused many. For some people, it generated a desire to make an all-in stake on it. In exchange for total loyalty they expected to receive a carte blanche to resolve all their problems by any means," Lavrov said. "The all-permissiveness syndrome that they developed went rampant, out of all possible control, on the night before 8 August when the aggression was unleashed on South Ossetia."
Wednesday 24 September 2008
The first group of European Union observers has arrived in Tbilisi to monitor the situation in the region after the recent conflict with South Ossetia. The 33 Italian representatives came by a special flight from Rome. They will monitor the Georgian territories, bordering South Ossetia.
A Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation, which is trying to assess the state of Russian-Georgian relations, has arrived in Tbilisi. They had already spent two days in Moscow and called on Russia to set up a commission to investigate events in South Ossetia.
The Ukrainian president condemned Russia's "armed annexation" of Georgia's breakaway regions and said his country would not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. Speaking at the UN General Assembly session, Viktor Yushchenko said: "Ukraine strongly condemns the violation of Georgia's territorial integrity and the sanctity of its borders, and the armed annexation of its territory." Yushchenko said the use of force and the resurgence of Cold War-era rhetoric have caused deep concerns in Kiev and "pose a potential threat to Ukraine and other regional states."
Talks of a surprising new alliance have appeared in the turbulent world of Ukrainian politics. The once fierce political rivals, the Yulia Timoshenko bloc and the Party of Regions, are now considering an alliance. Despite cautious scepticism, the Yanukovich-Timoshenko collaboration seems as the most likely outcome for experts in Ukraine. For President Yushchenko it could be threatening, as should these two parties team up, they can gain a constitutional majority and turn Ukraine into a parliamentary state with no president.
Russia's permanent mission at the NATO headquarters in Brussels urged the military alliance on Wednesday to stop hindering the work of the Russia-NATO Council. NATO has cancelled plans to hold a Council meeting to draft a new model for European security, previously scheduled for September 24. The meeting was called by Russia. "The Russia-NATO Council was formed as a mechanism for political dialogue on current and especially urgent issues of European security," the Russian mission said in a statement. "We regret yet another display of capricious politics and call upon our partners to take this matter seriously," the statement went on.
Tuesday 23 September 2008
Russia's Foreign Ministry says Georgian claims that one of Russian drones was shot down over Georgian territory is a provocation. Moscow denies an unmanned plane was flying over the security zone on the border with South Ossetia. A spokesman for Georgia's Interior Ministry said a Russian reconnaissance plane had been shot down near the town of Gori.
A special delegation of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), which has arrived in Russia to prepare a report on the situation in South Ossetia, hopes for a continued dialog between Russia and Georgia, the delegation's head Luc van den Brande said at a meeting with State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov in Moscow. Van den Brande assured his colleague that the delegation maintained an unbiased approach and was ready to objectively hear the positions of both sides.
In an impassioned speech at the opening day of the UN General Assembly, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvilli vowed to launch a second Rose Revolution of democratic expansion in Georgia to fight the "specter of aggression and authoritarianism." Saakashvili challenged the world body to use "actions, not words" to protect Georgia's sovereignty and stand up to Russia -- a country he never referred to by name. "We are called upon to answer this momentous question: Will this body stand up for its founding principles, or will it allow them to be crushed under the treads of the invading tanks, under the boots of the ethnic cleansers, under the immobilizing impact of cyberattacks, and the pernicious tactics of violent separatism?"
"We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia," U.S. President George W. Bush said in his final address to the General Assembly as president. "The United Nations Charter sets forth the equal rights of nations large and small. Russia's invasion of Georgia was a violation of those words. Young democracies around the world are watching to see how we respond to this test. The United States has worked with allies and multilateral institutions, like the European Union and NATO, to uphold Georgia's territorial integrity and provide humanitarian relief, and our nations will continue to support Georgia's democracy."
NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine is not in Washington's or the alliance's interest, former U.S. Ambassador to Moscow Jack Matlock said, as he and other former U.S. envoys decried the poor state of ties with Russia. At a gathering of five former U.S. and Russian ambassadors, Matlock questioned a central tenet of Bush administration policy: its firm support for the NATO membership bids of both Georgia and Ukraine.
Monday 22 September 2008
Several warships belonging to the Russian Northern Fleet, led by the nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky, Russian for Peter the Great, left the fleet's main base in Murmansk for Venezuela. Viktor Dygalo, an aide to the chief commander of the Russian Navy, told RBC that the warships were to hold joint naval exercises in Venezuela, adding that among the warships was also a destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and several auxiliary ships. The ships are expected to travel 15,000 nautical miles, and participate in exercises aimed at improving cooperation during marine rescue operations and combating maritime terrorism. The exercises are scheduled to last for two months.
A Council of Europe delegation is in Moscow to assess the state of Russian-Georgian relations, following the conflict in South Ossetia. The crisis will be the main focus of the group's parliamentary assembly, known as PACE, which opens in Strasbourg next week. Meanwhile, Russia continues to help rebuild South Ossetia while the U.S. goes on giving aid to Georgia. But Moscow fears the American aid is part of an effort to re-arm Georgia. The European delegation will hold talks with Parliament's Federation Council Speaker Sergey Mironov on Monday and Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov on Tuesday.
A light day's trade on Monday saw Russian stocks improve slightly, with traders taking a breather after last week's frenetic activity. At the end of the day the RTS and Micex closed up 1.05% and 0.62% respectively. This follows a tumultuous day of trading on Friday, which saw both exchanges halted twice as they powered to record one-day gains, and was preceded by two halts in the previous week as serious liquidity concerns prompted fears for the Russian financial system.
Saturday 20 September 2008
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says it is up to Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to decide how many Russian troops can stay in their territories. Russian news agencies quote the prime minister as saying the decision will be made based on international law and agreements between Russia and the regions, which Mr. Putin defined as "countries."
Friday 19 September 2008
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says "Russia's recent behavior raises questions about how successful" the United States "can be in trying to pursue a constructive relationship." And he urged European allies to rebuild their defenses to deter any potential Russian aggression. At times using harsh language, Secretary Gates said Russia seems to be returning "to Czarist habits and aspirations," and accused it of "mauling and menacing small democracies." But at the same time, Secretary Gates said the goal of the European military buildup he would like to see is to avoid "military confrontation," and he indicated that with the right action that may be easier than it was during the Cold War. "In reality, Russia's policies are borne of a grievance-based desire to dominate its 'near abroad,' not an ideology-based effort to dominate the globe," he said. "And Russia's current actions - however egregious - do not represent the existential and global threat that the Soviet Union represented."
"I believe the Goergia incursion will, over time, be recognized as a Pyrrhic victory at best and a costly strategic overreach," he said. "Europe and the United States will help Georgia rebuild, and in the weeks and months ahead, will be coming to other decisions about our relationship with Russia - the decision that, could among other consequences, affect Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization and the Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development."
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Russia remains open to foreign investment and any attempt to pull the country back into the Cold War is a direct threat to its modernization program. The statement follows sharp criticism by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who accused Russia of embarking on a path of self-imposed isolation and international irrelevance.
The Russian financial market has suffered precipitous declines this year, with some indexes falling more than 50 percent. The conflict in Georgia compounded the country's financial woes as investors pulled more than $35 billion out of Russia since the onset of hostilities last month. Russian investors embarked on a stunning turn-around, sending the country's leading stock exchanges upward so quickly that officials were forced to briefly suspend trading. Officials stopped trading on the RTS and Micex two times Friday, after both indexes soared more than 20 percent. While investors welcomed the gains, apparently emboldened by efforts to shore up financial markets around the world, Russian officials called for the suspensions because they feared trading could get out of control.
Thursday 18 September 2008
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Washington that Russia has paid a steep cost for its aggressive behavior in Georgia. "Russia's invasion of Georgia has achieved, and will achieve, no enduring strategic objective. And our strategic goal now is to make clear to Russia's leaders that their choices could put Russia on a one-way path to self-imposed isolation and international irrelevance," she said. Secretary Rice added that Kremlin leaders are becoming increasingly authoritarian, intimidating Russia's neighbors, using energy as a political weapon, and persecuting domestic journalists, dissidents and others to the detriment of Russia itself. Rice said Russia is becoming "increasingly authoritarian" and "aggressive." At an event hosted by the German Marshall fund, Rice delivered her strongest comments to date about Russia's invasion of Georgia and other recent actions. She said the U.S. goal is to make clear to Russia's leaders that their choices are putting Russia "on a one-way path to self-imposed isolation and international irrelevance." She said that for Russia to reach its full potential, it must be fully integrated into the international political and economic order. She said Russia is in the "precarious position of being half in and half out."
Wednesday 17 September 2008
Russia's stock exchanges suspended trading for the second day on Wednesday as a heavy sell-off sent the value of shares plummeting. The finance ministry took urgent steps to support the markets by offering liquidity to state-owned banks. In an effort to boost liquididy and stabilise the markets, the government pumped $44 billion into the financial system. First came a $20-billion injection into the interbank lending market on Tuesday to improve borrowing rates. Then, on Wednesday the Finance Ministry put up a further $44 billion for the country's three largest banks - Sberbank, VTB, and Gazprmobank - in a bid to boost banking-sector liquidity. Yet nothing seems to calm the markets. They crashed to new lows on Wednesday before trading was suspended for the day, just after 12 o'clock.
TRUD says that at his meeting with the Russian President, Azerbaijani leader Ilkham Aliev confirmed that he is not going to get involved in a confrontation with Russia despite multiple attempts by Western powers to persuade him to do just that. The paper repeats a recent media rumour: at his meeting with Dick Cheney in Baku, and in response to Mr Cheney's urgings, Aliev started talking about Georgia. He called Mikhail Saakashvili's policies irresponsible and some stronger names. However, the paper says, the President of Azerbaijan has not yet voiced any criticism of Georgia officially. KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA says in the global game of national interests, Baku is putting its money on Moscow. The paper goes on to quote the Azeri President Ilkham Aliev on the Caucasus: "Our region requires stability and predictability. That is what our relations with Russia provide to us: predictability."
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has denied allegations in the British mass media that foul language was exchanged between him and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov during a telephone conversation following the conflict in South Ossetia. According to The Telegraph "such was the repeated use of the f-word, it was difficult to draft a readable note of the conversation." An anonymous source leaked the information to the newspaper's political editor Andrew Porter who subsequently posted the scandalous news on his blog.
Sergey Lavrov had explained he only used the f-word when he quoted a characteristic of Georgia's leader Mikhail Saakashvili as given by a European colleague who called Saakashvili a 'f***ing lunatic'. "In my conversation with Mr Miliband I was simply repeating word for word what a European colleague told me, to show the British minister that as well as those who think Mikhail Saakashvili is a great democrat there are other views about this man," Lavrov said.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that NATO's drive to strengthen ties with Georgia is effectively encouraging the Tbilisi regime to carry out new acts of aggression in the future. Georgia's goal of NATO membership and U.S. support for Georgia's military have been major sources of tension with Russia in recent years. Russia accused NATO of rearming Georgia after last month's conflict over South Ossetia, and has threatened to fully sever ties with the Western alliance. The ministry statement said that "instead of drawing serious conclusions from the failed attempt of [Georgian President] Mikheil Saakashvili to solve the long-running conflict through use of force, NATO once again showed its support for its campaign of disinformation, and made promises to restore the military potential of this country. .... "
The U.S. military could have plans to use Georgian air bases to launch air strikes against Iran, according to Russia's envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin. He said that's the reason why bases in Georgia damaged during the conflict with Russia are being rapidly rebuilt. Rogozin said if a U.S. military operation against Iran goes ahead, he would have "pity for Georgia, because Iran is certain to defend itself."
Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia have sealed a friendship agreement at a signing ceremony in the Kremlin. It follows Russia's recent decision to recognise the independence of the two Caucasus countries. President Medvedev told the leaders of the two states that Russia will not allow anymore aggression from neighbouring Georgia. With the agreement signed, the Russian military now has permission to stay in the region not only as peacekeepers, but as a regular army tasked with providing security.
Georgia commited an act of aggression and violated the UN charter by invading South Ossetia, the incoming President of the UN General Assembly said at the opening of its 63rd session. Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, a former foreign minister of Nicaragua, pledged in his opening address to the session to dedicate his year as president to representing the interests of "the dispossessed of the world" and fostering solidarity between peoples and member states. "Georgia was the one who invaded Ossetia. Look at the situation, look at how the whole thing began. I think that Georgia did commit agression against South Ossetia," said Brockmann.
About 1,700 people, most of them civilians, were killed in South Ossetia during Georgia's onslaught on the breakaway republic in early August, the region's top prosecutor said. "The gathered eyewitness evidence suggests that 1,694 people fell victim to the aggression," Taimuraz Khugayev said in a Rossiiskaya Gazeta interview published Wednesday. "The circumstances of death have now been ascertained for more than 500 of them."
Tuesday 16 September 2008
NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says the road to joining the alliance is "wide open" for Georgia - despite Russian opposition. He made the comment in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on the second and last day of his visit. He said the alliance will continue to expand. De Hoop Scheffer was asked whether Georgia's chances of joining NATO would be damaged if the crisis in the Caucasus wasn't resolved. "That's the well-known 'iffy' question and in a long career, a long political career, I have learnt that it is better not to react to 'iffy' questions," said the NATO chief. "NATO, it goes without saying, strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia," he added.
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has urged Georgia to actively implement democratic reforms if it hopes to gain NATO entry. In comments to students at Tbilisi State University the secretary general warned Georgia not to use the crisis brought on by last month's conflict with Russia as an excuse to stall the reform process. "The thrust or the direction of NATO's thinking is clear. We stand with Georgia, we want to be helpful. The actual decision on whether December is the time for the membership action plan or not is something to be taken later and in the interim we are creating this NATO-Georgia Commission and we are going to be working through a lot of efforts to try to see how we can build a closer relationship and provide more assistance," said Kurt Volker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO.
As of 5:45 p.m., the MICEX index was down 17.45 percent from Monday's close, at 881.17 points. Trading in shares was resumed at 5:42 p.m. after it was suspended for an hour following a decrease of over 8 percent in the exchange's technical index from the opening of the same trading day. Russia's major stock exchanges, the RTS and Micex had suspended all trade after a panic driven wave of selling saw the Micex lose more than 16% and the RTS lose more than 11%.
Georgia produced telephone intercepts it said proved Russian armor entered Georgia hours before the start of the Georgian counter-attack. The intercepts were purported to be of telephone conversations between security officials in South Ossetia. "The intercepted calls confirm that the first units of the Russian regular army with heavy armor had entered and passed through the Roki tunnel during the early morning of August 7, more than 12 hours before Georgian forces started to mobilize," the ministry said in a "background memo" to the transcripts.
One intercept made at 03:52 on August 7 was said to be a conversation between an official at the South Ossetian border guard office in Tskhinvali and the duty officer at the Roki Tunnel, the land entrance to South Ossetia from Russia. The Georgian Interior Ministry provided its own translation of the recordings into English:
- Border guard HQ: "Has the armor already entered?"
- Duty officer: "Armor and people."
- Border guard HQ: "Did they enter now?"
- Duty officer: "Yes, when I called you for the first time they had already come out of the tunnel, around 20 minutes ago."
Monday 15 September 2008
The North Atlantic Council is meeting September 15-16 in Tbilisi. Moscow had urged the alliance to call off the visit. With NATO officials arriving in Tbilisi for a historic, first-time meeting here of the North Atlantic Council, the scope of the conflict appears to have expanded even further -- pitting Russia against the West, and pinning Georgia uncomfortably in between. NATO's General Secretary Jaap De Hoop Sheffer and ambassadors from all 26 NATO member states are in the Georgian capital to demonstrate their resolve to loosen Russia's grip on its tiny neighbor. The agenda has also been amended to include the inaugural session of a NATO-Georgia Commission to oversee Tbilisi's membership bid. The commission is a response to the recent hostilities that members hope will send a message to Moscow while allowing them to avoid internal disagreement over further NATO expansion. "If the Russians are staying in South Ossetia with so many forces, I do not consider this as a return to the status quo," de Hoop Scheffer told the "Financial Times" in an interview published ahead of the Tbilisi meeting. "The option of keeping Russian forces in South Ossetia and Abkhazia is not acceptable."
Mikhail Saakashvili is trying to take advantage of the recent conflict to speed up Georgia's NATO accession, warning the alliance against Russia. "If NATO sends a sign of weakness, and clearly this invasion was intended to deter, to scare NATO away, if NATO gets scared away, then this will be a never-ending story," he said.
Some important member states continue to back a quick Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Tbilisi, while others abhor the idea. Washington says it backs MAPs for Georgia and Ukraine. France and Germany -- which blocked a decision in April to force another debate in December -- are keeping their cards close to their chests. Unofficially, however, they indicate that the situation is now worse than it was before.
The EU Council has formally agreed to send 200 observers to Georgia to make sure Tbilisi abides by the Medvedev-Sarkozy peace plan. The EU observers are due to replace Russian peacekeepers in the security zone by October 1. Ministers were thought likely to defer the potentially contentious issue of whether or not those observers will also monitor events in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The European Union had warned it will suspend talks on a new partnership pact unless Moscow pulls its forces from Georgia. Sarkozy has said if his agreement with Medvedev was implemented, there was no reason those talks should not take place in October. That appeared to suggest the next round of scheduled talks, on September 15, would not go ahead.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is in South Ossetia after kicking off a two-day visit in Abkhazia on September 14 to signal Moscow's determination to follow through on its recent recognition of those separatist republics. At the start of his trip, Lavrov issued a stinging rebuke of NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who last week cited "fundamental differences" with Moscow and called Russia's show of force in Georgia "inappropriate" and its recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia unwise.
A source in Russian Defence Ministry says Georgian authorities have suppressed the real number of casualties from the conflict in South Ossetia, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. According to information collected by Russian military intelligence, the casualties of the Georgian army and other security services, including police, could reach as much as 3000. "The Georgian leadership tries to hide the real scale of military losses. Our data gathered from various sources indicates that Georgia lost up to 3,000 servicemen and police in attack on South Ossetia," said a source, also claiming that Georgia's Western allies have been aware of the numbers of Georgian casualties. It must be noted that the latest figures published by Georgian officials are as follows: 372 dead, including 188 civilians, 168 soldiers and 16 police. Russia has officially confirmed the loss of 66 killed and at least 340 wounded servicemen. Russia also claims that Georgia still hold POWs, among which could be crew members of the TU-22 bomber that was shot down by a Ukrainian-made anti-aircraft complex allegedly operated by Ukrainian mercenaries.
Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers that have landed in Venezuela are set to make a flight today for "air patrol in remote geographical areas," according to the Russian Air Forces' information and public relations department. The flights are to be conducted over neutral offshore waters of the Caribbean Sea. The Air Forces' statement has confirmed that the warplanes will take off from the Libertador air base on a six-hour flight. The document stated that all flights of the Russian bombers will be carried out in accordance with international regulations on the use of air space over neutral waters and refrain from crossing the borders of other countries. Furthermore, the aircraft crews are to meet with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez at his initiative on Tuesday.
As of 4:53 p. m., the MICEX index was down 7.13 percent at 1,057.01 points. On MICEX, VTB dropped 10.59 percent, Surgutneftegas plunged 10.39 percent, and Sberbank 8.17 percent. The RTS index was down 6.34 percent at 1,256.66 points. Among the biggest losers on the RTS were Rosneft (down 9.17 percent), Sberbank (down 6.78 percent), and Gazprom (down 5.8 percent).
Sunday 14 September 2008
Russia's Foreign ministry has confirmed all peacekeepers have been withdrawn from two positions in the security zone outside the Georgian port city of Poti, two days ahead of schedule. The withdrawal has also been confirmed by the Georgian Interior Ministry. The buffer zone between Poti and the Abkhaz border was created after the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict began.
Saturday 13 September 2008
Russian forces have evacuated five posts in western Georgia, which Moscow had promised to dismantle. Among the closures were military camps in Nabada and Patara Poti, outside the strategic Georgian port of Poti, as well as in Teklati and Pirveli Maisi, near the town of Senaki.
Friday 12 September 2008
President Medvedev revealed in a frank and public discussion with the members of the Valdai Discussion club why Russia will not deal with drug-addicted Georgian president Saakashvili. "There were many illusions in early 1990s, and as the country developed many of them just got blown away. Unfortunately the latest events mean those illusions are no more. Illusions that the world is just, that a security system based on current political resource distribution is optimal and keeps the world in balance. For me, as well as for a big part of Russian society, it was the loss of the last illusion - that the current world security system is reliable. We must create a different security system. The world has changed almost in an instant after those events. It came to my mind that for Russia, August 8 is almost like 9/11 for America.... The situation was humiliating for Russia some time ago, and we can't take it any more. It's a difficult choice for us, but we can't take it."
"The Georgian head of state is not just a man we won't do business with. He's an unpredictable pathological and mentally unstable drug abuser. Western journalists know it! A two-hour-long interview on the high - that's over the edge for a head of state. Does NATO need such a leader?"
"It is absolutely obvious that the so-called unipolar system has proved itself utterly ineffective in dealing with crises. Look at what has happened. One small but proud state not only strengthened its economy and developed democracy - there is nothing wrong with that - but also pumped its military muscles over a number of years. Eventually, on a peaceful day when mankind traditionally refrains from wars, it embarked on a cynical and bloody sortie under the pretext of restoring constitutional order. They attacked an ethnic group which has long told them they did not want to live in the same country together. However, after that they received substantial moral, material and military support from another, very big state, which wants to dictate its rules to the world," Medvedev said.
"Russia has its place in this world, its mission, if you will, as a big country and permanent member of the Security Council, a participant in the G8 and a fast-growing economy. We will formulate our objectives in accordance with this understanding. I have said before and I say again now, there are regions in which Russia has interests. It would be foolish and in some cases even damaging to deny this. Our partners in the international community speak in these terms with regard to their own interests, and we also need to state this out loud. If we keep quiet as if ashamed of it we will end up with situations like the crisis in August. Of course we will defend our interests, but most important of all, we will protect our citizens. I have said this before and I want to emphasise it now. The world changed practically straight away following these events. It occurred to me that for Russia, August 8, 2008 is almost like September 11, 2001, for the United States. A lot of people are making this comparison now. Someone here also made this comparison, I think. I think it is quite accurate, in application to the situation in Russia, at least."
"Russia is a state with a thousand years of history. It is perfectly obvious that we are interested in a stable situation with our neighbours, absolutely all of them, without exception, even those with whom we now have rather difficult relations. And these states have every reason to want things in Russia to be as calm and predictable as possible. What does this mean? It means one simple but very important thing: our neighbours are without any doubt states that are traditionally close to us and they represent the traditional sphere of interests of the Russian Federation. And the Russian Federation is for them exactly the same sort of traditional sphere of interest. We are so close to each other that it is impossible to come between us: it is impossible to say that Russia would like things a certain way, and our neighbours another. It is not even a matter of belonging to this or that organisation, this or that bloc, but rather the common history and genetic connectedness of our economies and the very close kinship of our souls. Therefore, of course, our neighbours and good relations with them are our number one priority."
"Of course we are not interested in drawing boundaries on some map to designate our own areas of influence and so forth. That would be pointless. In a multipolar world, everyone influences everyone else. But with those nations with which we have traditionally been close, with whom we have had warm relations, we will work to extend our contacts. If that doesn't please everyone, what can I do about it? We also have to put up with things that don't particularly please us."
"Yesterday I met with the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Finance. And, as you understand, we did not discuss issuing a new batch of cars or tractors, but rather rearming the Russian army. What does this imply? This suggests that the conflict has caused us to change certain priorities.... We do not want to be a militarized country behind an Iron Curtain, I don't want to live in such a country -- I have lived there already, it is too boring, not engaging enough. But Russia should be an estimable player in the international community."
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met political experts and journalists from all over the world at the annual forum, the Valdai Discussion Club. ".... long monologues are tiresome, especially for those who listen. Let's go on to a direct dialogue. Thank you for having the patience to listen to me.... Our American partners kept training the Georgian military. They invested a lot of money there. They sent a large number of instructors there, who helped mobilize the Georgian army. Instead of looking for a solution to the difficult problem of ethnic strife and ethnic conflicts, they just prompted the Georgian side to launch a military operation. This is what actually happened.... they wanted to use military force here too. They enjoy shooting and bombing so much they thought they could achieve success here too. You weren't successful in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in the Middle East - what makes you think you could be successful here? They failed here as well, and they will always fail ... This is why Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposed to work out some new rules. What are these rules? It's all very simple. The same principle should apply to everyone. Let's decide which rules we are going to live by. .... respect means we recognise each other as an equal partner. The U.S. will never be able to make us similar to Western Europe. No offence meant, but Western Europe has no foreign policy of its own today. Russia cannot and will not exist in this way. Yet, we want to have normal partnership. So let's build this relationship together. "
On September 8, the independent Russian human rights organization "Memorial," and the Moscow Branch of Human Rights Watch concluded a six-day visit to Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, and number of Ossetian, Georgian, and mixed villages in the breakaway region of Georgia. Speaking at a news conference in the Russian capital, representatives of the two organizations said the situation in the area is not as simple as presented by propagandists on either side of the conflict. The activists note a discrepancy between some official Russian and South Ossetian claims of 2,000 war dead and a figure of 137 fatalities provided by Investigative Committee in the Russian Prosecutor's office. They say attempts to confirm a number was impossible, as one government committee referred them to another committee, which referred them back to the first. There was also no evidence of thousands dead based on visits to local hospitals and graveyards.
Memorial representative Alexander Cherkasov says residents of Georgian enclaves were advised to leave by local pro-Georgian authorities before the outbreak of hostilities. This, according to the activist, indicates the attack by Georgia was not spontaneous.
Why had Saakashvili acted with such apparent recklessness? The answer coming from loyal authorities in Tbilisi is: He didn't. Officials like Reintegration Minister Temur Iakobashvili, who claims he was with Saakashvili when the order was given to enter South Ossetia, says Georgia acted only after days of separatist attacks on Georgian-controlled villages, and with the belief that Russian forces had already entered the Roki Tunnel connecting North Ossetia in Russia with South Ossetia in Georgia. "We didn't start this war, and we didn't enter South Ossetia to liberate it. That was not the order the president gave," Iakobashvili said. "He gave the order right in front of me. The order was to shut down only those places where the South Ossetians were firing from. And to stop the military column that was entering Georgia. That's it." In the early days of the conflict, authorities in Tbilisi claimed to possess three independent intelligence sources confirming that Russian, not Georgian, troops had moved first, but has yet to produce the proof.
Speculation is rife that Saakashvili may be forced to step down in favor of a candidate less noxious to Russia, like former parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze or Georgia's ambassador to the United Nations, Irakli Alasania.
Belgium cancelled an official visit by one of its warships to Russia, a source in the Russian Navy said on Friday. The Belgian F931 Louise-Marie frigate was scheduled to visit a naval base in St. Petersburg on September 12-15. "Belgium has sent us a note saying that despite friendly relations between Belgium and Russia NATO has recommended that the country cancel the visit due to the current political crisis," the source said.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said that Georgia should be admitted to NATO, and that the United States could go to war with Russia if Moscow then attacked the South Caucasus state. Speaking about the Georgian crisis in her in her first major interview since becoming Senator John McCain's running mate, the governor of Alaska said: "We've got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable."
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Russian-Ukrainian relations. "As is known, before October 1, 2008 Russia and Ukraine must define their approach to the further fate of the 1997 Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership. It is understandable that this kind of strategic decisions are taken based on careful analysis of the course of the realization of the Treaty's provisions and of the sides' fulfillment of their obligations to develop the Russian-Ukrainian strategic partnership. In this connection we are forced to state that the Ukrainian authorities are currently pursuing a policy which can only be assessed as unfriendly towards Russia. ... Official Kyiv continues its policy for a speedy entry into NATO, which is contrary to the spirit of the 1997 Treaty and to the security interests of Russia. ... The rights of Ukraine's Russian-speaking population are being infringed, and a purposeful policy is being pursued to oust the Russian language from the public life of the country, science, education, culture and the mass media."
Transcript of Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov Interview with Telewizja Polska, September 8, 2008 : "If the decisions are taken by the Polish leadership under the impact of paranoia and on the basis of nonexistent and absolutely far-fetched threats, I can do nothing with this. I have heard that some figures in Europe began to vituperate loudly and demagogically that the next after South Ossetia would now be Ukraine and then Moldova, but this was the product of a sick imagination. There are quite a few people who would like to exploit this situation exclusively for anti-Russian purposes."
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is visiting Latvia's capital, Riga, for talks with the Latvian president and the foreign ministers of the three Baltic states -- Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The visit was originally scheduled as a bilateral meeting with the Latvian president, but the NATO chief's schedule was altered to include private talks with the three Baltic governments about their concerns over Russia's invasion of Georgia last month.
Thursday 11 September 2008
"Russian strategic bombers, Tu-160s, have landed in Venezuela. Yes, yes. So that way it hurts Yankees," according to President Hugo Chavez. An outspoken critic of the United States, this is how Chavez sees Venezuela's latest cooperation with Russia. President of Venezuela Chavez himself came to the Libertador Air Base to greet Russian crews. The exercises, the first major maneuvers in the U.S. front yard since the Cold War, are a show of strength by Russia. The planes arrived on September 10 days after Russia and Venezuela announced they would conduct joint naval exercises in the Caribbean later this year.
Georgian aggression in South Ossetia underlines the need to modernise Russia's armed forces in the coming years, and the Russian Army needs to be well-equipped to deal with modern threats, according to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "We should concentrate on supplying our troops with modern weapons. We will work on this consistently and thoroughly, taking into account - among other things - recent developments like the Caucasus crisis, Georgia's aggression and its ongoing militarisation. This makes the goal I'm speaking of one of our top priorities for the next few years." said the Russian leader at a meeting with the country's top military officials. "These decisions will undoubtedly be influenced by the crisis in the Caucasus, the Georgian aggression [against S. Ossetia], and the continued militarization of Georgia," the president said. "We need modern, effective armed forces, and this is one of the key tasks," Medvedev said.
The participants of parliamentary hearings arranged by the Federation Council on Russia's draft budget for 2009-2011 have suggested that the government consider an increase in financing the government's arms program for 2009-2011. Particularly, the government is to review increasing the funding of corresponding R&D programs, as well as the purchases of arms and military equipment. Yevgeny Bushmin, head of the Federation Council's budget committee has agreed with the proposal to hike Russia's military spending in light of the conflict in the Caucasus. This suggestion is in line with those of the United Russia political party, Bushmin said.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin strongly defended the Russian military incursion into Georgia, but says Moscow has no intention of annexing any territory of former Soviet republics. Putin said Moscow has no "imperial ambitions" for Georgia, despite what he said were Western accusations to the contrary.
Some lawmakers and analysts fear that Russia's invasion of Georgia may hurt U.S. space exploration. The U.S. space agency, NASA, depends heavily on Russian launch vehicles to reach the international space station. NASA plans to retire the space shuttle in 2010. After that, the U.S. agency will only gain access to the international space station by purchasing rides on Russian Soyuz vehicles. Republican presidential nominee John McCain and other lawmakers have voiced concern about Russia's reliability as a partner on the space station.
Wednesday 10 September 2008
A letter Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote that was published in the Polish daily "Gazeta Wyborcza" on September 10 appeared to suggest he was coming to Poland to bargain. Repeating the words of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, he writes that Russia has a geographical sphere of "privileged interests" and he called on Poland and the rest of Europe to recognize that "new reality." That has left many in Poland speculating over just what kind of a "grand bargain" Moscow might have in mind that goes even beyond ending Polish support of Tbilisi. "Gazeta Wyborcza" speculates that "it sounds like an invitation for Poland to join the club of EU countries leaning toward Russia, such as Germany, Italy, France and Spain." In other words, if Poland stops leading the anti-Russia camp in the EU, and adopts a more "pragmatic" approach, Warsaw will find Moscow a willing partner.
David Bakradze, the speaker of the Georgian parliament, testified before the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. He said the Russian provocations became an act of war that Georgia had to respond to, and he offered evidence that he said proves Russian tanks and troops entered Georgian territory on August 7 through the Roki Tunnel, the only road connecting North Ossetia, in the Russian Federation, to South Ossetia. "At this point, this is still not public, but we have radio interceptions confirming Russian troops entering Georgian territory in the evening of August 7," Bakradze said. Bakradze called that "the turning point" where the Georgian government had to make the decision to defend its territory and respond.
Matt Bryza, deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, also testified before the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission. "We don't want to be sounding like we're wagging our finger, raising threats. We don't want to burn bridges. We want to escalate, if need be, prudently, whatever leverage we might employ, but always with the hope and the anticipation that at some point Russia will recognize the costs are simply too high of continuing on this path."
The U.S. Air Force will patrol the airspace over the Baltic states from October, the Latvian Defense Ministry said. A group of U.S. F-16 fighter jets will replace the current German planes on a rotation basis. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia reached an agreement with NATO on the lease of fighters to patrol their airspace in 2004. Patrols have since been conducted by Belgian, Spanish, Norwegian, German and Danish aircraft. The patrols cost the Latvian taxpayers $4 million a year. The Baltic States have virtually no fighter planes. They said earlier that they would be unable to acquire their own fighter planes before 2018. The Baltic skies are secured by the so-called NATO air police, which in addition to fighter planes also provide air defense systems and manpower.
Nikolay Zlobin, Director of Russian and Asian programs at the Washington-based World Security Institute, writes that the World has passed the era of the U.S. monopoly on the superpower status. The U.S. has failed as the sole center of power, not only because the efforts of Russia and other countries directed towards the creation of a multi-polar world, but largely because of the mistakes of its own administration, the administration of George W. Bush, one of the least successful U.S. presidents in History.
Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili has so far made no "express" commitments to abstain from using force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow. "We do not care about the papers that Saakashvili pulls out of his pockets to show to journalists," Lavrov stated, adding that Russia had expected him to undertake only one obligation - to pledge not to use force in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Leaders of the European Union and Ukraine say they expect to conclude a pact in 2009 on deepening ties but the 27-nation bloc stopped short of offering Kyiv the firm membership pledge it had hoped for. The leaders agreed that a broad pact under negotiation would be called an "association agreement" -- wording that can imply the possibility of future EU membership.
Tbilisi has signed the new version of the Medvedev-Sarkozy Peace Plan and immediately attached to it a meaning quite, different from what Moscow put into it. The Georgian side suggests that international observers would be monitoring the situation at the "security zones" outside the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as inside the two republics. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says only Russian troops will be working inside the newly-recognised states.
Tuesday 09 September 2008
The U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing cast Moscow as an aggressor but members of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs seemed to some Russians to have sided with Russia. Some U.S. voices were raised against labeling Russia as the aggressor during the conflict in the Caucasus. "The recent fighting in Georgia and its breakaway region was started by Georgia. The Georgians broke the truce, not the Russians! And no talk of provocation can change that fact," said Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. The U.S. is in Georgia "not for democracy" Congressman Ron Paul added. "We are not for democracy there - we are there to protect a pipeline. And that is tragic for me," he said. Senator Hillary Clinton called for the creation of a special commission to get the facts straight before judging Russia. "Rather than seeking to isolate them - which I think is not a smart proposal - we should be more strategic. We have to answer for ourselves: Did we embolden the Georgians in any way? Did we send mixed signals to the Russians?" Hillary Clinton said.
US Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman said that "For many months my colleagues and Secretary Rice had been telling the Georgians clearly and unequivocally that any military action initiated by them would be a mistake and would lead to a disaster." He told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on September 9 that the top U.S. priorities in Georgia are stabilizing the situation on the ground, helping the country recover economically, and helping to rebuild the military. To that end, he said a team from the Defense Department will travel to Georgia this week. "The Department of Defense is sending an assessment team to Tbilisi later this week to help us begin to consider carefully Georgia's legitimate needs and our response," Edelman said. "After assessments of these needs, we will review how the United States will be able to support the reconstruction of Georgia's economy, infrastructure, and armed forces."
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, declined to give specifics about how the United States might punish Russia for its invasion. "Our strategic response must include longer-term consequences for our relationship with Russia," Fried said. "Since 1991, U.S. policy toward Russia was based on the assumption that Russia sought integration with the world and was, perhaps unevenly, moving toward greater democracy and the rule-of-law at home. Indeed, Russia expressed interest in and made progress toward becoming part of key institutions -- the WTO, OECD, the G7/G8, and a partner with NATO and the European Union. But with its invasion of Georgia, Russia has put these aspirations at risk."
On September 9, "The New York Times" reported that the Bush administration has ruled out any unilateral punishment of Russia. Quoting senior administration officials, the newspaper reported that, "The White House had concluded that American punishments like economic sanctions or blocking Russia from world trade groups would only backfire, deepening Russia's intransigence and allowing the Kremlin to narrow the regional and global implications of its invasion of Georgia to an old-fashioned Washington-Moscow dispute."
At the United Nations, the U.S. has rejected a Russian draft resolution asking for an arms embargo to be imposed on Georgia. It called for countries to agree a ban on the sale of arms or military equipment, as well as any assistance, consultations or training. Before the rejection, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin insisted an embargo would be the right thing to do. "The Russian delegation introduced today at our consultations an important draft resolution. This is a draft resolution on an arms embargo against Georgia," Churkin said.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili still hasn't provided sufficient assurances that the country won't attack South Ossetia and Abkhazia, according to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Such a guarantee was the only precondition Russia issued for the complete withdrawal of its troops from the region. "We have only demanded that Mikhail Saakashvili does one thing - pledges not to use force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He still hasn't given any clear guarantees of that. The European Union did it for him," said Sergey Lavrov.
Russia says its troops will remain in South Ossetia and Abkhazia for a long time. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a Moscow news conference that Russian troops, not peacekeepers, will remain on the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to respond to what he referred to as any relapses of aggression. He says they will be there at the request of the presidents and parliaments of the two regions and also on the basis of a Russian presidential decree. Lavrov says the troops will stay for a long time, at least for the foreseeable future. This, he says, is absolutely necessary to prevent repetition of aggressive actions by Georgia. Speaking in Moscow at a briefing for President Dmitri Medvedev, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said the country's presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia will total about 7,600 troops, 3,800 in each region. Foreign Minister Lavrov says the responsibility for peace in the buffer zone around South Ossetia and Abkhazia is now in international hands.
French President Sakorzy came with a letter from Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, promising that Tbilisi would refrain from using force against Abkhazia and South Ossetia in accordance with the six-point plan adopted on August 12. After the talks the leaders held a media briefing where Dmitry Medvedev announced the additions to the August 12 ceasefire. He said: "all Russian peacekeeping forces from five observation checkpoints located in a territory between Poti and Senaki would be withdrawn over seven days at most with account taken of the fact that legally-binding documents with guarantees of not using force against Abkhazia and South Ossetia were signed on September 8, 2008. ... Russian troops should be completely withdrawn from zones located outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia to pre-conflict positions within a period of ten days upon the deployment of international peacekeepers, including at least 200 EU monitors, not later that October 1, 2008. ... All Georgian troops should return to their pre-conflict positions by October 1, 2008."
US Vice President Dick Cheney deplored Russia's military action in Georgia and said Tiblisi has every right to join NATO in the future. He made clear that Russia could not behave as it pleased with Georgia. "The international community is united in deploring Russia's military action and condemning its unilateral efforts to alter by force of arms Georgia's internationally recognized boundaries," said Cheney.
According to Anatol Lieven, Georgia has no chance of retrieving its former breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "One of the most important things to get through to the West and to Georgia is that they will never get South Ossetia and Abkhazia back," he said. "Anyone who wants to try to bring peace and stability to that part of the world has to recognise that. Possibly, if they recognise the independence of these states, they may get a bit of them back. The Georgians might get the Kodori and Gali back," Lieven added.
There are calls to offer Ukraine a clear -- if distant -- prospect for EU membership at the EU-Ukraine summit at Evian on September 9. Such a move is likely to be blocked by the Benelux countries and others skeptical of further enlargement, or unwilling to antagonize Russia. The bloc has signaled that it will provide encouragement about closer ties, but is not expected to offer Kyiv a specific pledge on future membership. "The summit will not give Ukraine a European perspective, a key word for eventual membership," according to Tomas Valasek, director of foreign policy and defense at the London-based Center for European Reform. The European Union must consider the waning public support for further EU expansion and the consequences of further straining relations with Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the recall of the Russian-American Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement from the US Congress by saying "We regard the decision of US President George W. Bush to recall from Congress the submitted-for-ratification Russian-American civil nuclear cooperation agreement as erroneous and politicized. We are also puzzled by the timing of the announcement of this decision.... It is obvious that the recall of this agreement from the US Congress will be interpreted as a "penalty" or "restriction" for Russia. To us such interpretations are unconvincing..."
Monday 08 September 2008
The presence of international observers was negotiated Monday during talks near Moscow by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev. Russia has agreed to completely withdraw its troops from Georgia's heartland within a month. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said the agreement was a step forward, but made clear that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are inseparable parts of Georgia. French President Sarkozy arrived in Moscow on 08 September 2008. Sarkozy was traveling together with the president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and the foreign policy chief of the EU, Javier Solana. Sarkozy, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, discussed sending a mission of EU observers to Georgia during talks in Moscow Monday with Russian leaders. Sarkozy, accompanied by other top EU officials, made another effort to persuade Russia to abide by the terms of the cease-fire and remove its forces from Georgian territory. Russian officials and diplomats have made clear that they disagree with the EU's interpretation of the six-point cease-fire negotiated by Sarkozy.
The French President Sarkozy, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and foreign policy chief Javier Solana then went to Georgia later in the day. The new agreement came at a high price for Georgia -- Tbilisi had to sign away the right to use force in either Abkhazia or South Ossetia -- effectively giving up its sovereignty over the two separatist provinces.
Georgia sought a ruling from the UN's highest court in The Hague ordering Russia to stop what it claims are human rights violations against ethnic Georgians in the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Judges at the International Court of Justice in the Hague on September 8 started hearing Georgian accusations that Russia committed human rights violations against ethnic Georgians living in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The court was expected to give a provisional order or injunction within two to three weeks if it decides it has jurisdiction to hear the case. The primary task for the Russian defense team is to prove that the Court does not have proper jurisdiction for the case and that restoration in Abkhazia and South Ossetia can be achieved without a court trial. Georgia's case is presented by a team of young European and U.S.-educated Georgian officials as well as several famous American lawyers. The Russian team consists of senior officials from the Foreign Ministry and several famous European lawyers.
Sunday 07 September 2008
Russia's NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin says Russia will break off its relationship with the alliance if it admits Georgia. He warned that there is no way Russia could continue cooperating with NATO if the Membership Action Plan was approved for Georgia. "We would have to stop all contact. Georgia's entry to NATO would make the world a different place," he said. Rogozin added that alliance members must be aware of this, as it concerns the European countries most of all. "The U.S. and Canada are far away, and unlikely to be affected by any potential threats. It's Europe that will take the rap," said Rogozin.
The U.S. military provided combat training to Georgian commandos just months before Georgia attacked South Ossetia, according to an investigation by the Financial Times newspaper. It reported that a 15-man team of American special forces veterans spent 70 days training Georgia's elite troops outside the capital Tbilisi. The Financial Times obtained a recruitment email sent by a Pentagon contractor, MPRI, and a U.S. European Command spokesman confirmed the existence of the training program when questioned about the email. The trainers were paid US$2000 per week plus expenses to train the Georgian troops.
Saturday 06 September 2008
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev accused the United States of re-arming the Georgian army Saturday, using humanitarian aid as a cover. Apparently hinting at the United States, Medvedev said certain nations keep arming Georgia under the guise of humanitarian aid. "Unfortunately, the armament of the Georgian regime, including under the flag of humanitarian aid, is continuing," he said. The leader's charges came as European Union foreign ministers met to discuss the conflict in Georgia. President Dmitri Medvedev's strongly-worded comments came a day after the US Sixth fleet sailed into the Georgian port of Poti, to deliver humanitarian aid. Under the close watch of Russian forces, 17 tons of humanitarian aid was dropped off at the Black Sea port. US officials said the ships were delivering items such as toothpaste, toilet paper, blankets and other necessities, while Russian officials alleged that the shipments were also delivering weapons. "I wonder how they would feel if we now dispatched humanitarian assistance to the Caribbean, suffering from a hurricane, using our navy," Medvedev said, adding that a whole U.S. fleet had been dispatched to deliver the aid. He said political pressure on Russia will not yield any result. "They are trying to subject us to political pressure, but we have got used to it, and they will not be able to do anything," the Russian leader said.
Medvedev was reported to have said, "Russia will never allow anyone to infringe upon the lives and dignity of its citizens," adding "Russia is a nation to be reckoned with from now on." However, the official translation of his statement on the Russian Presidential website reported that he said "Russia will not allow anyone to compromise the lives and dignity of its citizens, Russia is a nation, which will continue to be reckoned with." The former translation suggests that the Russian military action in Georgia represented the begining of a new policy, of more muscular assertion of Moscow's will in the near abroad. That later translation suggested that new new policy approach was represented in these actions. The transcript from the President's website goes on to say, however, that Medvedev stated "After the 8th of August 2008 the world has changed." This suggests that possibly there is a new approach, after all.
Russia's Agriculture Ministry has suggested cutting the imports of poultry, delivered mainly from the United States, in 2009 by 17%. "We suggest reducing import quotas on poultry meat next year by 200,000 tons," Minister Alexei Gordeyev said Saturday during a visit to a fishing farm in south Russia. The U.S. is Russia's largest poultry supplier. The country has supplied 870,000 metric tons of the 1.2-million-metric-ton poultry quota set by Russia for 2008.
Vice President Dick Cheney, in the sharpest U.S. criticism of Russia since its brief war with Georgia, has accused Moscow of reverting to old tactics of intimidation. "This chain of aggressive moves and diplomatic reversals has only intensified the concern that many have about Russia's larger objectives," Cheney said. "For brutality against a neighbor is simply the latest in a succession of troublesome and unhelpful actions by the Russian government. ... At times it appears Russian policy is based upon the desire to impose its will on countries it once dominated, instead of any balanced assessment of security interests.... it reflects the discredited notion that any country can claim an exclusive zone of authority, to be held together by muscle and threats.... Russia's leaders cannot have things both ways. They cannot presume to gather up all the benefits of commerce, consultation, and global prestige, while engaging in brute force, threats, or other forms of intimidation against sovereign democratic countries."
The European Union wants to work closely with the United States in resolving the Georgian crisis, Italy's foreign minister said after meeting U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
European Union leaders met Saturday in southern France to determine how to respond to the actions of both Russia and Georgia. Several foreign ministers called for an independent inquiry to find out what exactly happened, while others hoped to figure out whether human rights abuses took place. The European Union's 27 foreign ministers ended their two-day informal meeting in Avignon with a show of unity ahead of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Moscow and Tbilisi on September 8. The EU stands ready to contribute observers to an OSCE mission currently in the process of being deployed in Georgia. The foreign minister of Finland, Alexander Stubb, who currently also chairs the OSCE, told his EU colleagues over the course of the meeting that Russia continues to stymie the build-up of the organization's monitoring mission from its present 28 members to the full strength of 100.
US Vice President Dick Cheney has sharply criticized Russia's actions in its conflict with Georgia, and its attempts to control oil and gas supplies. Speaking in Italy Saturday Cheney accused Moscow of threatening to use energy supplies as a "tool of force and manipulation."
Friday 05 September 2008
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hosted the leaders of six former Soviet countries at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Moscow on Friday September 5th. Medvedev sought support from fellow CSTO signatories Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan for Russia's military intervention in Georgia and subsequent recognition of the South Ossetian and Abkhaz independence.
The leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) signed a joint declaration on the developments in the Caucasus at a meeting in Moscow on Friday. The group has also expressed its support of Russia's reaction to Georgian aggression against South Ossetia. "All our partners in the CSTO will be guided by their own opinion on the issue of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. This is how it should be according to the norms of international law. They'll be guided by their own national interests. Russia believes this is absolutely right," Dmitry Medvedev said. But the Armenian President stressed that the members of the organisation should show a united front in different issues, including foreign policy. "Along with strengthening the military aspects of CSTO, we must also coordinate our foreign policy, because we are members of one organisation," said Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan.
In the southern French city of Avignon, European Union ministers have opened a two-day meeting to discuss sending international observers to Georgia. The meeting is very important because it will determine the dates and terms for launching this mission. The European Union could decide as early as a week from now to send 200 or more personnel to the region. This week Moscow also backed an international police presence by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that also could include the EU.
French FM Bernard Kouchner said U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney was not America's best ambassador. "The very fact that Americans didn't find anything else to support their failed ally - Mr. Saakashvili - other than sending Mr. Cheney to the region, who is incredibly unpopular in the world, who is associated with the war in Iraq, with all these neo-conservative, black-and-white visions of the world, who was accused of corruption - remember the Halliburton affair in Iraq. And if they wanted, if the Bush administration really wanted to consolidate the international community behind the United States in criticising Russia, I think they should find somebody else and not send Mr. Cheney," Kouchner said. He also said the European Union should develop a joint approach to Russia. "We have to be together. The U.S. have their own views, but we are living close to Russia. We need to develop our own policy, a neighbouring policy. We have to talk about our views of being close to Russia, a great country, a partner," he said.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Russia is, in her words, "deepening its isolation" by failing to stand by the conditions of a cease-fire agreement with Georgia. Rice told reporters in Lisbon Friday that Russia has not honored its commitments towards Georgia. The U.S. has repeatedly criticized Russia for maintaining forces in the Georgian port city of Poti and in other locations. Moscow says its troops are carrying out necessary peacekeeping duties.
US Vice President Dick Cheney said Washington supported Ukraine's bid to join the military alliance, and that a NATO commitment to eventually admit the former Soviet republic "stands today." "No outside country gets a veto," he said. Cheney's trip to Ukraine is viewed as a signal of American support for that country's pro-Western and pro-NATO government. But the high-level visit comes at a time of disarray in that government involving a bitter dispute that pits President Viktor Yushchenko against Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Russian newspaper headlines and live television reports from Kyiv inform readers and viewers that Ukraine's Orange Revolution is over. In Moscow, Russian lawmaker Konstantyn Zatulin, who is also deputy chair of the Commonwealth of Independent States Committee in Parliament, says Russia is not pleased with Ukraine's political crises of recent years. "The reason is because the turbulence makes it difficult to develop long-term Ukrainian-Russian relations," says Zatulin. He adds that those ties are suffering, because Russia cannot rely on any stable partners in Ukraine.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet poses a potential danger to Ukraine's security, according to President Viktor Yushchenko who made this statement following talks with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who is visiting the country on Friday. Yushchenko also expressed concern that Moscow may use the fleet based in Ukraine in conflicts with third parties.
American Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, appeared to some Russian obervers to be have been unsuccessful for Washington, unlike his visit to Tbilisi. Cheney received a cool welcome and, according to Russia's Kommersant newspaper, Azerbaijan's President Ilkham Aliyev has implied that Baku is going to play a waiting game concerning the Nabucco gas pipeline, which is set to bypass Russia. Neither President Ilkham Aliyev nor the Prime Minister, Artur Rasizade, were there to greet Cheney at Baku airport. Instead, he was met by the country's First Deputy PM and the Foreign Minister. The Kommersant newspaper reports that Cheney was very annoyed by the results of the meeting with President Aliyev and even refused to attend a ceremonial supper in his own honor.
A senior Russian lawmaker says Moscow will deploy high-precision weapons near Poland, in response to a U.S. - Poland missile defense agreement signed in Warsaw last month. Viktor Zavarzin, head of the defense committee in the State Duma, said Russia has new weapons that will be installed near the sites where Washington plans to deploy interceptor missiles. The Itar-Tass news agency quoted Zavarzin as saying there are proposals to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in the Kaliningrad region bordering Poland, but that for now there is no need for such a move.
The current sell-offs on the Russian stock market are caused by panic, experts told RBC TV. Before investors can start buying Russian shares for the medium and long term, the market must give a signal that it is ready to rebound, analysts note. While Russian companies are now fundamentally attractive, global markets are still seeing a downbeat trend, experts point out. On the whole, Russian shares are likely to rebound next week unless there is new negative news from abroad. Analysts believe that the MICEX index's support level is 1,000-1,100 points. Shortly after 3 p.m., the MICEX index was down 8.49 percent at 1,172.98 points and the RTS index was down 7.77 percent at 1,408.02 points.
Thursday 04 September 2008
A U.S. Navy ship carrying humanitarian supplies arrived in Poti on Thursday. The flagship of the U.S. Navy's Mediterranean fleet has arrived in the key Georgian port of Poti, where Russian troops have been patrolling since last month's war. U.S. officials say the "Mount Whitney" is bringing humanitarian aid, but Russia has criticized the move, saying a sophisticated warship is unsuited for an aid mission. However, asked what Russia's reaction might be, spokesman Nesterenko said, "There is no talk of military action." Russian forces say they will carry out regular checks of cargo coming in and out of Poti. They man at least two positions close to access roads on the outskirts of the town.
The regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization was held in Moscow on September 4. Foreign Ministers from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were in attendance. The CSTO chairmanship at this session passes from Kyrgyzstan to Armenia, and accordingly the Foreign Minister of that country, Eduard Nalbandian, will conduct the meeting.
The foreign ministers of six former Soviet republics in the Collective Security Organization backed Russia's role in the Georgian conflict, but stopped short of recognizing the independence of the breakaway regions. The council of the Security Council Secretaries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) approved of Russia's actions in South Ossetia, Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev told a news conference in Yerevan. As for the reasons underlying the conflict, Patrushev said that the North Caucasus and Central Asia were rich in hydrocarbons, and therefore were of interest to many countries, particularly the USA, which "wanted to gain access to the riches".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia is satisfied with the common statement which follows the meeting. "It denounces the military actions taken by Georgia against South Ossetia and stresses the necessity to avoid such situations in the future," Lavrov said. "The statement highlights the key points, has all the necessary verifications, including condemnation of Georgia's military actions against South Ossetia. It stresses the need to do the best in order not to admit similar attempts at using force for solving conflicts and evaluates events in the conflict zone. It condemns the policy of double standards and admits the dangers in the conflict zone," he added.
Russia's stock market opened slightly lower on Thursday. On the MICEX, shares dropped by an average of 0.5 percent, Rosneft being the biggest lower (down 1.5 percent). Severstal and Polyus Gold defied the downward trend, rising by 1 percent. The market will continue to decline on Thursday, Alexander Laputin, chief investment consultant at Otkritie Financial Corporation, told RBC TV.
The president of the Central American state of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, has followed Moscow's lead by recognizing the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Nicaragua thereby became the first country to join Russia in officially recognizing the two regions. Ortega is an old Cold War warrior himself, having been an ally of the Soviet Union and an unwavering critic of what he saw as U.S. imperialism in Latin America.
US Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Ukraine as part of a tour of several former Soviet republics, amid an escalating standoff with Russia over its operations in Georgia.
Vice President Dick Cheney, on a visit to Tbilisi, condemned Russia's invasion of Georgia and said the United States is fully committed to its eventual membership in NATO. "The United States is very pleased with the recent establishment of the NATO-Georgia Commission," Cheney said in brief remarks to reporters after meeting with President Mikheil Saakashvili. "As the current members of NATO declared at the summit in Bucharest, Georgia will be in our alliance. NATO is a defensive alliance." He said that Russia was the "aggressor" in the recent South Ossetian war.
Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin wasted no time in casting a cloud over Russia. In her keynote speech to the party convention in Minnesota, the Alaskan Governor accused Moscow of using energy as a weapon in its disagreements with the West. "With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers," Palin told supporters in St Paul.
International military monitors entered a Russian buffer zone inside Georgia for the first time since fighting broke out last month over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia has previously rebuffed pressure from the West to allow monitors into the area where, Georgia alleges, militias from South Ossetia have burnt and looted Georgian villages.
Russia's foreign minister urged the deployment of "unbiased" observers in South Ossetia. "The most important thing is to provide unbiased international monitoring of South Ossetia's buffer zone," Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Italian counterpart, Franco Frattini. Lavrov added that it would also be necessary to make sure that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's regime honored its commitments, including not using force.
The Wall Street Journal reported: "In private meetings, the Vice President, Dick Cheney, will also be sounding out Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and other officials about how the U.S. and its allies could help strengthen economic and military capabilities. In the past the U.S. has been careful not to go too far with military assistance in the region... Now that policy might be ripe for reconsideration, many experts say. An initial step could be to increase the number of U.S. military trainers in Georgia."
The New York Times said: "Just weeks after Georgia's military collapsed in panic in the face of the Russian Army, its leaders hope to rebuild and train its armed forces as if another war with Russia is almost inevitable. Georgia is already drawing up lists of options, including restoring the military to its pre-war strength or making it a much larger force with more modern equipment... Georgia's decision to attack Russian and South Ossetian forces raises questions about the wisdom of further United States investment in the Georgian military, which in any case would further alienate Russia."
Georgian police have arrested the son of the country's first post-Soviet president on charges of planning a coup against the government and spying for Russia. Officials Thursday confirmed that Tsotne Gamsakhurdia is in custody after being arrested late Wednesday at the Tbilisi airport. Georgian authorities have been seeking Gamsakhurdia's arrest since November of 2007, when he was accused of planning a failed coup against President Mikheil Saakashvili. He also was charged with having ties to the Russian secret service.
Wednesday 03 September 2008
The State Department's top expert on the Caucasus region, Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza, dismissed Moscow's continuing claim that Georgia started the conflict by its troop movement in South Ossetia August 7. "It did not begin on August 7th with the attack on Tskhinvali, by Georgia, which we do believe was a mistake. But it began much sooner, thanks to provocations by South Ossetian militias under the command, by the way, of Russian officers. So Georgia did not launch a war. Georgia was drawn into one," he said.
Russia's NATO envoy has said that Moscow could suspend cooperation with the military alliance on Afghanistan over the recent Georgia crisis. Speaking at a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels late on Wednesday, Dmitry Rogozin said "future cooperation [in Afghanistan] will depend on the alliance's position in the 'Caucasus crisis.' "We are not satisfied either with NATO's words or actions," he said.
U.S. envoy Kurt Volker said in an interview published in the "Financial Times" that the 26-nation Western military alliance must send signals through "planning and exercises" that it intends to help shore up the Baltic states. "Those countries are members of NATO; so if there is any attack on those countries, we will respond," Volker told the paper in an interview. "They are feeling a little rattled by seeing Russia use military force to invade a sovereign, small neighboring country. We need to send signals to shore them up a little bit. ... We will have to make sure ... that the Article 5 commitment is realizable, not just as a political matter, but as a military matter too," he said.
US Vice President Dick Cheney has begun a week-long tour of former Soviet republics in a show of support after Russia's invasion of Georgia last month. He is going to the capitals that are the state that was just hit by Russia and two more that are regarded as possible next points of vulnerability, Kyiv and Baku. Cheney's visit will afford him a firsthand view of Azerbaijani's prominent role as an energy supplier, Georgia's current crisis with Russia, and domestic political turmoil in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko threatened to dissolve parliament following the collapse of the pro-Western ruling coalition. He said a "political and constitutional coup" was under way in parliament after his Orange Revolution partner, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, joined ranks with the pro-Moscow opposition earlier this week. Tymoshenko's move paved the way for the Verkhovna Rada's adoption of a series of laws weakening the president's powers, including the right to name the prime minister, and defense and foreign ministers. Yushchenko said he would veto the legislation. The two groups managed to collect a previously unheard of 300 votes in the 450-seat parliament in four separate votes, more than the majority needed to override presidential vetoes. The president has accused Tymoshenko of 'high treason' and 'working with Russia' as she refused to condemn South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's declarations of independence. Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovich has backed Russia's actions in South Ossetia.
Azerbaijan carefully avoided taking sides, but as they say in Baku, you can't hold two watermelons in one hand. Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan Wednesday and later travelled to Georgia and Ukraine. Visiting Vice President Dick Cheney pledged the United States' "deep and abiding interest" in the security and welfare of Azerbaijan and its neighbors during the first leg of a tour to highlight support for several former Soviet states. Azerbaijan feels vulnerability that following Russia's incursion into Georgia, in light of its role in the supply of oil and gas to the West, and observers predicted that "they will discuss how to save Azerbaijan from [potential] Russian attack." Azerbaijan has long played a middle-man in its relations with the United States and Russia, but its strong and immediate support for Georgia in its crisis with Russia could be indicative of a change of course. The trip comes as the United States prepares to announce a $1 billion economic aid package to help Georgia rebuild after Russia's military action.
"I think [the Bush administration] do want to send [to Russia] a message of firmness," Stanley Kober, a longtime analyst of Russia and the Soviet Union, told RFE/RL. "But my concern here is the rhetoric, at least, is becoming extreme." Kober likened the current maneuvering to a game of chess: "You make a move, and then the other guy makes a move. And one of the problems is that I'm not seeing enough attention to 'Well, if we do this, what will be the response?'"
In an interview with the Euronews TV channel, Dmitry Medvedev said he regretted Europe's lack of understanding about why Russia acted in South Ossetia. However, Russia's President said common sense prevailed at the emergency EU summit in Brussels. "I'd say the results were twofold. First, unfortunately, there is still no understanding of Russia's motives in making the decision to repulse Georgia's aggression, and in making the decision to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as subjects of international law. This is deplorable - but not fatal, because in this world, things change. That's the first point. Another point is much more positive. Even though the EU countries were somewhat divided on this issue, a reasonable and realistic approach prevailed. Some countries called for some imaginary sanctions and punishments but it didn't happen. And I think Europe, primarily the European Union, is better off this way. ... as for other international instruments, say, the G8, it's not capable of functioning without Russia. Moreover, G8 countries now realise that apart from countries like, say, China and India, without using the so-called "outreach" format, many decisions made by the G8 won't be fully effective, to say nothing of decisions made without Russia. Thus, the G8 will not survive without Russia. ... The matter of the WTO is a particular economic subject. Indeed, we would like to join the WTO, but not at any cost. We have been negotiating on this issue for a long time, and unfortunately these talks haven't been universally successful. Our position was simple: unless we made a deal soon, we were going to pull out of some treaties that imposed certain restrictions on us with regard to the WTO. We are probably going to go ahead with these steps, unless we see progress in the WTO process shortly."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told Italian reporters in an interview broadcast by Russia's Vesti Channel that relations between Russia and NATO are currently not simple. "All calls to restrict cooperation between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance seem to be double-edged. They will deal a greater blow to NATO countries," Medvedev stressed. "We do not see anything dramatic or complicated in suspending these relations if our partners insist, but I think they will lose more from it," he added.
The European Parliament condemned Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia but the assembly has welcomed the EU's decision to send an observer mission to the conflict area to investigate the situation. Wednesday's resolution in Brussels also urges Russia to completely withdraw its troops from Georgia.
Sources in South Ossetia suggest the republic is ready to sign a military agreement with Russia. It's reported that a deal may come as early as Tuesday, which would allow Russia to deploy more troops in the region. South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity has already asked Russia to build a base in the region to help ensure peace and stability. There is no hurry to establish Russian military bases in South Ossetia, President Eduard Kokoity was cited by the republic's press and information committee as saying.
"We are interested in fulfilling the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan in the shortest term possible," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said of a French-brokered cease-fire to end the most intense fighting in Georgia. "It is written in black and white in that plan that until international mechanisms have been created, Russian troops will carry out additional security measures, and that is what Russian peacekeepers are doing in the security zone now." Lavrov said "We in the Russian Federation think it is necessary for the OSCE to make a decision about an international police force. We hope that the European Union can play a leading role in this process".
Abkhazia and South Ossetia should decide for themselves whether they want international observers working on their territory, the Russian foreign minister said. Sergei Lavrov said after the meeting with his Belgian counterpart Karel De Gucht that the issue of sending international observer missions to South Ossetia and Abkhazia from the EU or any other organization "should not be addressed to us [Moscow], but to Tskhinvali and Sukhumi." South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity, however, said earlier that no international monitors would be allowed in South Ossetia, adding that, "We can hold talks with the OSCE, the EU and our friends from the UN only on observer numbers. But the observers will not be working on the territory of South Ossetia, but on Georgian soil."
Moscow accuses Georgia of violating the agreed conditions. "The Medvedev-Sarkozy six-point plan states that Georgian troops must return to their quarter. What we are witnessing now is quite the opposite of that. We can see that Georgian troops are being re-equipped and some are being relocated not far from Russian peacekeeping posts," said Andrey Nesterenko, Russia's Foreign Ministry representative.
The Bush administration Wednesday announced a $1 billion economic aid package for Georgia to help that country recover from last month's conflict with Russia. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. package is part of an unprecedented global show of support for Georgia in the face of aggression by its larger neighbor. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department. Rice coupled announcement of the aid plan with harsh criticism of Russian behavior during and after the brief conflict. The U.S. aid package is entirely economic and U.S. officials say they hope more than half of it, about $570 million, can be delivered by the end of the year.
The International Monetary Fund has agreed in principle to lend Georgia $750 million to soften the economic impact of a war with Russia, which may slow growth significantly. Following a request by the Georgian authorities for IMF financial support, an IMF mission visited Tbilisi August 23-September 3 and has reached an agreement in principle on a $750 million financial package. The proposed arrangement requires the approval of the IMF Executive Board, which is expected to consider Georgia's request in mid-September. The loan would be provided through an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement.
The Russian stock market finished with most traded securities falling sharply. The RTS index dropped 4 percent to 1,592.89 points and the MICEX index fell 3.21 percent to 1,324.99 points. The majority of blue chips settled in negative territory on MICEX. The Russian market may fall further. The dollar's appreciation against the ruble signaled that foreign investors continue pulling out of the Russian market.
The United Nations refugee agency says it is concerned about the humanitarian situation in and around the Georgian town of Gori, just south of the boundary with the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The UNHCR reports displaced people say they fled from marauding militias and are fearful about the future. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva. The UN refugee agency says shelters in Gori are overflowing and cannot hold any more people. It says it has registered about 4,200 internally displaced people, all of whom came from villages in the so-called buffer zone between Gori and the South Ossetian border.
Nearly 160,000 people were displaced during the conflict between Georgia and Russia, which erupted on August 8. The vast majority of those who fled to the Russian Federation, some 30,000, have returned to their homes in South Ossetia.
Tuesday 02 September 2008
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday Russia will respond calmly to the presence of NATO warships in the Black Sea. "Our response will be calm, not hysterical, but there will definitely be a response," Putin said. Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn also said on Tuesday that Russia was concerned over the presence of the five NATO warships in the Black Sea.
From January 1, 2009, the Ukrainian leadership is planning to put up the rent for the Crimean territories where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is stationed, according to Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper. It claims the corresponding documents are being prepared by Ukraine's Ministries of Foreign Relations and Defence. The rent price was calculated in 1997 and defined in the treaty of disposition of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine. The cost of renting port facilities was agreed at $US 98 million. Ukraine's former Defence Minister and now a member of parliament Anatoly Gritsenko says the country should pay off the debt and put up the rent - to $US 1 billion a year at least. His colleague Yury Kostenko believes the price should be $US 2.5 billion.
A contingent of 500 Russian peacekeepers will stay in a buffer zone between Georgia and South Ossetia, Russia's ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told a press conference. The additional troops that were deployed as part of Russia's peacekeeping operation in the region have now withdrawn completely, Chizhov said. He noted that Russian peacekeepers were currently staying in the security zone, particularly in the port of Poti.
Abkhazia will not host new Russian military bases on its territory, the leader of the region recently recognized by Russia as independent said. "There will be no new bases," Sergei Bagapsh said, adding that Russia's Black Sea Fleet will not be based in the republic either. Russia has always claimed that it closed down its military base in Gudauta in 2001 as envisaged by the OSCE Istanbul treaty, but according to some sources about 400 personnel are still stationed at the base, along with some combat and transport helicopters, various military vehicles, a fuel storage area, and other facilities. The Russian military also maintains the Bombora airfield, which is part of the Gudauta base complex.
The Russian President Dmitry Medvedev criticised the EU's emergency summit in Brussels. Medvedev said the meeting showed that: "unfortunately, there is still no understanding of Russia's motives in making the decision to repulse Georgia's aggression, and in making the decision to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as subjects of international law. This is deplorable but not fatal, because in this world, things change", he said. Medvedev went on to say the EU was taking a pragmatic stance over the conflict: "Even though the EU countries were somewhat divided on this issue, a reasonable and realistic approach prevailed. Some countries called for some imaginary sanctions and punishments but it didn't happen. And I think Europe, primarily the European Union, is better off this way," Medvedev said.
The president also pointed out that Russia had not been ostracised by the international community. "Russia doesn't want to be isolated, and in fact it is impossible to isolate Russia. The fact of the matter is, after this recognition we all should consider the security architecture we want to have in our complex world in the years to come. It is totally obvious to me that the events that started with Georgian aggression on August 8 made this issue very urgent. The former security architecture proved itself ineffective".
Russia is not satisfied that Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia is not mentioned in an EU statement following the bloc's summit on Monday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told journalists. Putin also regretted that the document mentioned Russia's allegedly inadequate and disproportionate response to Georgia's actions, while not specifying that those actions were pure acts of aggression.
Russia offered a muted response to Monday's European Union special summit meeting on Georgia, saying the majority of European countries confirmed the path toward partnership with Russia. A statement released on the Russian Foreign Ministry website says a minority of EU countries called for a freeze in relations and condemned Russian foreign policy. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko later read the entire statement at a Moscow news conference. But the Ministry's main point, as read by Nesterenko, is that the EU majority demonstrated a responsible approach by confirming its path towards partnership with Russia, fully realizing the meaning of mutually beneficial cooperation.
An agreement to build Russian military bases in South Ossetia will be signed on September 2 in the South Ossetian capital city of Tskhinvali, announced Tarzan Kokoity, Deputy Chairman of the republic's parliament. The move will defy the West as military bases in South Ossetia would not only ensure security for South Ossetia, but they could also pose a military threat to NATO's plans in Georgia. South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said earlier that his republic would offer Russia to build a military base in the republic. Apparently, Moscow decided to accept the offer. A motorized infantry brigade could be deployed in the South Ossetian town of Dzhava. The strategic Trans-Caucasus Highway, linking Russia to Trans-Caucasian countries, runs through South Ossetia. South Ossetia and North Ossetia have always been Russia's outposts.
Monday 01 September 2008
Russia wants an international police presence in "security zones" along the line separating Georgia from its breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told a news briefing that such a presence, arranged by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), was a confidence-building measure needed for Russia to withdraw its forces from the disputed zones. "The Russian side has no intention of keeping its peacekeeping forces outside the boundaries of South Ossetia and Abkhazia forever," he said. "At the same time, we will insist on reliable international control in Georgian districts adjacent to [South Ossetia and Abkhazia's] territory to prevent the preparation by the Georgian regime for new military adventures."
By some accounts, more than a million Georgians across the former Soviet republic have protested against Russian military action and the Kremlin's backing for the country's two separatist regions. Many waving the red-and-white Georgian flag, protesters linked arms in the capital Tbilisi in a "human chain" that snaked through the city under cloudy skies. The figure, which could not be independently confirmed, would account for more than a fifth of the Black Sea state's population of 4.5 million.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for an embargo on arms supplies to Georgia, as they might lead to further escalation in the region. "For a start, it would be a right step to place an embargo on weapons exports to Georgia until it is run as a normal country. We are interested in closely cooperating with the OSCE and the UN in order to guarantee security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as stated in the six principles signed by Presdent Medvedev and President Sarkozy".
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov at the Foreign Ministry's MGIMO University on the Occasion of the New Academic Year, September 1, 2008 said "Russia has returned to the world arena as a responsible state which can stand up for its citizens. If somebody was mistaken on that score, then our resolute actions to force Georgia to peace and our recognition, due to the circumstances, of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia should have dispelled any such doubts. With its reaction to the Georgian aggression Russia has set a certain standard of responding that fully complies with international law, including the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter and our specific commitments in terms of the settlement of this conflict. Moreover, Russia and its peacekeepers have followed our deeply Christian tradition of dying for our friends. ... On the firm basis of international law, the Constitution and laws of Russia, we are going to protect the life and dignity of our citizens, wherever they are, and to support the interests of Russian business and develop privileged relations with Russia's friends in different regions."
The European Union has strongly condemned Russian action in Georgia and agreed to suspend talks with Moscow on a wide-ranging partnership agreement until Russian troops withdraw from Georgia. European Union leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels Monday to figure out how to respond to the crisis between Russia and Georgia - and what kind of action to take against Moscow after it recognized two breakaway Georgian regions as independent states. EU leaders called Russian military action in Georgia unacceptable and condemned its recognition of the two breakaway regions. There was also a warning that relations between the EU and Russia could suffer. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who holds the rotating EU presidency, said Europe wants a real partnership with Russia. But, he said, it takes two to make that happen. So for now, Europe has postponed talks on a wide-ranging economic and political partnership agreement with Russia until Moscow withdraws its troops from Georgia.
The 27-nation organization was expected to discuss future relations with Russia. Ahead of the emergency EU summit on the Russia-Georgia conflict, some members were arguing for continued dialogue, while others talk of sanctions. Two draft resolutions were under discussion - one proposed by Poland, calling for tough measures, and the other sponsored by Italy, which only contains mild criticism. A number of member states, including Britain and Poland, have called for sanctions against Moscow, as well as the postponement of talks on a new partnership and cooperation agreement with Russia. The European Union's leverage over Moscow is limited. Many EU countries depend on Russian gas. Former British Foreign Secretary David Owen said sanctions are not a viable option for the E.U. because they would expose Europe's weakness, its dependence on Russian energy exports. "Europe is divided over Russia. And one of the problems is that Germany, France and Italy have a very heavy dependence on Russian gas. But the fact is that all the European Union is very dependent on Russian energy supplies," he said.
A lot of European companies have made, and are making investments in Russia. Germany is an enormous exporter to Russia. Many Germany companies depend on their sales to the Russian market. News reports from Paris indicated there will be no decision on sanctions. French diplomats say Monday's European Union summit was not likely to impose sanctions on Russia in response to the Georgian crisis. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had raised the sanctions issue Thursday.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he was taking steps to prevent a new standoff between the West and Russia over the recent conflict in Georgia. Speaking on Canale 5 ahead of an EU summit to be held later on Monday, which will focus on the Georgia crisis and relations with Russia, Berlusconi said: "It is absolutely essential to prevent a situation where the current crisis in the Caucasus is used as a fuse to ignite a new Cold War." Berlusconi said: "Russia remains a military power, a country whose nuclear capabilities are enough to destroy the planet's population 10 times over, a country whose economy has grown 7-8% annually, a country that is rich in oil and gas that is needed by Europe."
Russia will exclude 19 American companies from the list of poultry meat exporters to Russia starting from September 1, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance reported. The regulator had already sent a full list of excluded companies to the US Department of Agriculture. According to the service, these companies have systematically violated Russia's veterinary legislation. Around 120 companies will remain on the list of suppliers to Russia, but the regulator said 29 other firms face the same ban unless they raise their standards. The United States is Russia's largest poultry supplier. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had earlier mentioned the ban, but insisted it was nothing to do with ongoing political tensions with the U.S. government, which has strongly criticized Russia for its military operation in Georgia and recognition of Georgian rebel regions. Vice presidential candidate Joseph Biden, who heads the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, said he was alarmed by Russia's ban, and urged the U.S. government to take response measures.
Turkish trade minister Kursad Tuzmen said that on September 1 Turkey will impose curbs on Russian exports and withdraw support for its membership of the World Trade Organization. Russia has introduced new custom regulations which, according to Tuzmen, could cost Turkey as much as $3 billion. Tuzmen attacked the regulations as political, saying Moscow may be punishing it for allowing the U.S. ships to pass through the Bosporus. Turkey's trade with Russia is over $10 billion, and the country is overly dependent on Russian gas at 64 percent and 40 percent for Russia oil.
Russian media reports that Russian troops returning from their operation in Georgia received a heroes welcome back home. One of the last Russian units to leave South Ossetia was greeted on the Transcaucasion highway by North Ossetians. The people said they were thankful to soldiers who risked their lives to stop Georgian aggression against South Ossetians. Soldiers were offered Ossetian treats and beer by locals wearing traditional dresses. Sixty four Russian soldiers lost their lives and over three hundred were wounded in the brief war.
This past summer has been the worst in a decade for Russia's stock exchange market, with the benchmark RTS index sinking by more than 30 percent. In the autumn, the Russian economy will face the consequences of the market fall in the summer months, in the form of accelerating inflation. The new wave of inflation could deal a heavy blow to the country's manufacturing sector, triggering yet another fall of the stock market.
The humanitarian organization, Human Rights Watch accused Russia of using cluster munitions in Georgia during fighting between the two countries over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia disputed those charges. Human Rights Watch also said Georgia had admitted using the weapons in its drive against South Ossetia. The group said a number of civilians were killed and wounded by these weapons.
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