ITAR-TASS, Russia
Aug 20 2004
Putin confirms erroneousness of autonomous status abolition
SOCHI, August 20 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin
confirmed that he regards as erroneous Georgia’s abolition of the
autonomous status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in the early 1990s.
`It is absurd to deny that the decision on South Ossetia was made,’
Putin replied to the question about his criticism. `We have copies of
the documents, which abolished the autonomous status. They were
signed by Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and we are ready to present them,’ he
said.
`As for Abkhazia, that decision was made de facto, without legal
confirmation,’ Putin said. `The latest statements of Abkhaz leaders
and the life itself show that.’
Putin does not think that his judgment of Georgian actions following
the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, including the
abolition of the autonomous status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, was
too harsh. Several days ago he said that the actions were `stupid.’
`Mikhail Saakashvili [told me] at our meetings that he also regarded
the decisions made on South Ossetia in the 1990s as erroneous,’ Putin
said. `So I said nothing unexpected.’
Putin called on all parties to the South Ossetian conflict to abide
by agreements.
`There is only one way out: to start negotiations, reach agreements
and have political will to implement them,’ he said after
negotiations with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
`There is will be no results’ if the [Joint Control] Commission would
make decisions in the morning and representatives of a member country
of the Commission would disavow the decisions in the evening, Putin
said. `I hope that all parties will show political maturity and
responsibility in the interests of their peoples,’ Putin said.