MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION SERGEY LAVROV'S INTERVIEW GRANTED TO CHANNEL ONE, THE TV CHANNEL ROSSIA, NTV, REN TV AND ITAR-TASS, RAMI RIA NOVOSTI AND INTERFAX NEWS AGENCIES CONCERNING THE SITUATION AROUND SOUTH OSSETIA

Unofficial translation from Russian

The Russian leadership is seriously concerned by the continuing rise of tensions in South Ossetia. Shots are already being heard there not for the first day. Any incident more or less serious can lead to a flare-up of violence which will no longer be controlled and may end in unpredictable consequences. Therefore all our efforts are now directed to securing a peaceful settlement of this crisis.

In so doing we consistently rely upon legal methods of settlement, on the international legal bases that were agreed on by all the parties, including the Georgian leadership, and which presuppose looking for a solution to the problem in South Ossetia through a jointly established mechanism, the Joint Control Commission, to which is assigned the Mixed Peacekeeping Force made up of the Georgian side, the Ossetian side and the Russian side. Each of the sides has the right under these agreements to have in the peacekeeping force one battalion of 500 men. But the facts show that the Georgian side in gross violation of its obligations under the existing agreements has illegally brought into the zone of conflict hundreds, even thousands of armed persons who in no way fall under the status of peacekeepers and have no documents, and the purely arithmetic number of armed persons in the zone of conflict from the Georgian side goes beyond all the bounds previously agreed on, supported and recognized by Tbilisi.

I shall recall that the agreements whose fulfillment we seek, insisting that all the parties strictly abide by them, vest the Commander of the Mixed Peacekeeping Force with the broadest powers, including the right to "resolutely suppress the activity and disband any armed units uncontrolled by the sides and to immediately settle all group conflicts, including armed ones. To carry out measures to impose and maintain an enhanced security regime in the zone of conflict and, if necessary, also in the zones adjacent to it. To prevent the infiltration into the zone of conflict of armed groups and other uncontrolled units that can by their actions destabilize the situation." These provisions of the agreement of December 6, 1994, vest the Peacekeeping Force Commander with very serious powers, including coercive measures. I draw attention to the fact that up until now the commander has not resorted to these his powers, since all our actions are directed, I repeat it, towards a peaceful settlement of this crisis.

Let me also recall as the speculation is being fanned about the equipment for helicopters that on July 8, 1992, the JCC adopted a decision, signed by General Kitovani, who represented the Georgian leadership at the time, which says that "for the disposal of the joint group there are to be assigned two MI-8 helicopters, 3 armored personnel carriers, 3 UAZ jeeps, and so on; the helicopters and equipment being provided by the Russian side." This decision was not implemented at that time. A question may arise why we cite the decisions of the years 1992 and 1994. We cite them because they fully remain in force, and this was acknowledged by the Georgian side as recently as June 2, 2004, when the JCC gathered for its meeting and wrote down the following text of its decision: "The sides undertake to strictly abide by the provisions of the agreements earlier reached on the principles for conflict settlement and the formation and activities of the Mixed Peacekeeping Force, and by the obligations of the sides not to resort to measures of pressure by force, economic pressure or any other forms of pressure in dealing with the problems that may arise." And in the same document the Georgian side undertook "to immediately withdraw the additionally introduced units of the security structures of Georgia from the zone of responsibility of the Joint Peacekeeping Force." Thus, by reaffirming all its obligations under the previous agreements, the Georgian side also reaffirmed the need of re-equipping the Mixed Peacekeeping Force with helicopters. In the same decision, it is written that "because of the lack of helicopters in the Mixed Peacekeeping Force, the MPKF command has no possibility to control the air space in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in full. It is proposed that the MPKF be re-equipped with helicopters." Also affixed here is the signature of the state minister in the Georgian government, Goga Khaindrava, and it is affixed both to the necessity of re-equipping the MPKF with helicopters and to the recognition of the operation of all the previously concluded agreements. So all the statements of the Georgian side that it detained two trucks laden with helicopter equipment because no such decision had been adopted only mean an attempt to mislead the world public, including the OSCE representatives, who are in the zone of conflict and who are duty-bound to see to it that all the available agreements are strictly complied with. Since the OSCE representatives there are few in number and they have no possibility to fully inform their leadership in Vienna of what is actually happening in the zone of conflict, and as the information that came in up until now was obviously fragmentary and based on the Georgian side's assertions that had very little in common with the real state of affairs, we offered the OSCE representatives in South Ossetia help so they could drive through the population areas where there are the illegal Georgian armed units, and see for themselves that there do exist violations by Georgia.

As you understand, the staying-on of the armed units illegally brought into the zone of conflict arouses the justified fears of the Ossetian side. The population of South Ossetia is seriously concerned that a military action is being prepared. The bellicose statements coming out of the Georgian leaders' mouth are not conducive to dispelling those fears. Well, I will not even talk about the accusations being made against Russia of imperial ways. I repeat it, the only guideline we follow is international law, in this case the agreements concluded with the participation of the Georgian side and supported and endorsed by the OSCE.

The main responsibility for the situation that has evolved lies on Tbilisi. The OSCE is obliged, as the organization that has sanctified the existing agreements, to seek discontinuance of violations by the Georgian leaders of their obligations and Russia, in its turn, is guided solely by this necessity - to implement what was written down, what was agreed upon. We give full priority to the peaceful methods of settling the conflict, and are ready for an urgent convocation of the JCC at a high level. But for this conflict to be settled, meetings alone are not enough. It is necessary that in the area of conflict the Georgian side cease grossly violating its obligations and, among other things, return the two trucks with helicopter equipment in accordance with the signature that their authorized representative affixed to the document, cited by me. That equipment was sent for the MPKF, it must be returned, and immediately.

In conclusion, I want to add that likewise not helpful in normalizing the situation and calming the legitimate and justified fears of the population of South Ossetia are the Georgian leaders' actions in respect of their other obligations. There can be observed the quite alarming tendency of the departure of Tbilisi from the agreements signed by the Georgian representatives. I shall mention in this connection that a delegation of the PACE monitoring committee, led by a PACE rapporteur, Mr. Matthias Eorsh, stayed in Tbilisi on July 6-9. They also visited Adzharia. At the end of his visit, the head of the mission, the PACE rapporteur made the statement that, although the authorities of Georgia had succeeded in achieving definite progress, above all in the fields of the holding of the elections, the functioning of the judicial system and the fight against corruption and crime, the Georgian leadership, as before, was not implementing the PACE recommendations, in particular, for the ratification by the Georgian parliament of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the PACE recommendations for the return of the Meskhet Turks. It was noted that there were persisting serious problems in the area of the observation of human rights and freedoms and the protection of national minorities. To very serious criticism the PACE rapporteur, Mr. Eorsh, subjected the Law on the Status of Adzharia, passed by the Georgian parliament, by which, in his words, the republic actually did not receive the rights of autonomy. And, in particular, he said that the new Adzharian government was in fact appointed in Tbilisi, not by the local population. As you understand, such assessments by PACE, and this is an organization that has serious authority, at least all over Europe, do not help create an impression that the Georgian leadership really wants to settle the conflicts on its territory in such a way as to ensure the rights of the minorities inhabiting Georgia.

All this combined arouses serious concerns and we are convinced that in face of the incontrovertible facts Tbilisi is obliged to take all the necessary measures to abide by its obligations, reached under international law and endorsed by the international community.

July 11, 2004