| Author (Person) | Beatty, Andrew |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.5, 9.2.06 |
| Publication Date | 09/02/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Andrew Beatty Date: 09/02/06 Tensions between Georgia and Russia look certain to escalate next week as the Georgian parliament moves to expel Russian peacekeepers from the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Georgia alleges the peacekeepers are not doing their job and is pressing Russia to reform the force, or pull out. Forcible expulsion has not been ruled out. The parliament's committee will meet later this week to discuss the next steps and is expected to call on the government to lay the groundwork for the removal of Russian troops, replacing them with an international force. Georgia is lobbying intensively to internationalise the problem and has turned to the EU and the international community for help. Tbilisi wants the EU to become more involved in efforts to resolve the 15-year-old frozen conflict and step up its border assistance mission to Georgia. So far Georgia's request has received a muted response from Europe's capitals. Latvian Parliamentary Speaker Ingrida Udre has said her country would be willing to send troops to replace the Russian force. But her statement was later qualified by a spokesperson for the Latvian mission to the EU. "Latvia is not considering sending peacekeepers to South Ossetia," said Anda Catlaka. "Reports concerning this matter relate to statements made by Latvia's parliamentary speaker, who was replying to a hypothetical question." The latest call for the EU to become more involved comes as the clash between Russia and Georgia escalates following a series of pipeline explosions which left Georgians without gas for a week in sub-zero temperatures. Tbilisi has accused Moscow of being behind the blasts. But with agreements to demilitarise South Ossetia being implemented slowly, Salome Samadashvili, Georgia's ambassador to the EU, said that the country was running out of patience. She accused Russia of doing little to bring law and order to the region and of distributing Russian passports to South Ossetians, in contravention of Georgia laws governing dual nationality. "It seems clearer each day that they are distributing passports and then claiming the right to protect Russian citizens, this is just a new form of annexation," she said. "The Georgian parliament will discuss the matter and will ask the government to come up with a sensible, reasoned policy." One option for the parliament is to ask President Mikhail Saakashvili to re- examine the 1992 Sochi Agreement which established a ceasefire between Georgian and South Ossetian forces. EU special representative for the Southern Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie urged caution. "Let's see what kind of debate and resolution the Georgian parliament has," he said. But he added that the EU could be willing to become more involved in peace talks taking place in the so-called Joint Control Commission (JCC), which is made up of South Ossetia, the Russian region of North Ossetia, the Russian Federation and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Talvitie admitted that the process was progressing "very slowly, if at all" and said "later the format can be changed if all those in the JCC are in agreement". The JCC is scheduled to meet again in March. Russian peacekeepers in the breakaway region of South Ossetia are set for expulsion following accusations by Georgia of incompetence and calls for reform. Georgia wants resolution of the issue of South Ossetia to be internationalised and for the EU to become actively involved. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Countries / Regions | Georgia, Russia |
