On Thursday the UN General Assembly adopted a submitted by Georgia draft resolution on Abkhazia and South Ossetia, neglecting Russia's appeal not to support it, in order not to harm the Geneva Discussions on Transcaucasia.
62 countries voted for the resolution, against - 16, 84 states abstained. The UN General Assembly resolutions are advisory and have no legal force.
The resolution, in particular, reflects the decision to include the issue of protracted conflicts in Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the agenda of the next session of the UN General Assembly. The focus of the paper is on the necessity of returning refugees and access to humanitarian aid.
However, as has noted before the vote Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, the text of the resolution "is highly politicized," prepared "outside the context of the region's current geopolitical realities." He focused on Georgia unwillingness to sign with Abkhazia and South Ossetia the agreement on non-use of force and called "demagogic" the appeal to the Geneva discussions to intensify efforts to achieve lasting peace and negotiate more effective measures for trust building.
According to Churkin, if the situation around South Ossetia and Abkhazia is to be considered at the UN, then it`s necessary to invite representatives of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "Without them the discussion is simply not on," - said Churkin.
On Thursday Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia issued a statement on the submitted by Georgia draft resolution on the status of refugees and displaced persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to the plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly. It was emphasized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that adoption of the draft resolution submitted by Georgia would not solve the existing humanitarian problems. It will have a very negative impact on the process of the Geneva discussions, and undermine the restoration of confidence between South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia.
According to the RSO Foreign Ministry, the main key to the solution of the problem of refugees is not in diplomatic tricks aimed at propaganda effect but in leaving the confrontation, the signing of a legally binding agreement on non-use of force and finally a peace agreement between Georgia and Republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in Transcaucasia are held since October 2008 on the basis of the agreements reached after the armed aggression of Georgia against South Ossetia. The Geneva meetings on an equal basis are attended by delegations of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the U.S., as well as by the EU, the UN and the OSCE representatives.
