SEPARATIST STATES MEET AT FORUM IN MOSCOW
By Eka Basilaia

The Messenger, Georgia
Sept 14 2005

Leaders from the self-declared republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
(Georgia), Transdnestria (Moldova) and Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan)
are meeting in Moscow on September 13-14 for a forum that some have
billed as an ‘alternative CIS.’ The forum has been criticized by
Georgia who accuses Russia of coddling the unrecognized regimes.

Representatives of the State Duma, Russian political scientists and
sociologists and representatives of the clergy from Armenia and South
Ossetia will participate in the session, reports state.

The initiator of the conference is the Director of the Institute of
CIS Countries, member of the State Duma Konstantin Zatulin, together
with the Moscow State University Department of Sociology.

According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Transdnestria will be
represented by the president of this de-facto republic Igor Smirnov,
Abkhazia – by the secretary of the Security Council Stanislav Lakoba,
South Ossetia – by the Minister of Culture Konstantin Pukhaev and
Nagorni Karabakh – by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport
Kamo Atayan.

A separate round table discussion organized together with the Orthodox
Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Duma is also planned to be held
within the framework of the conference on the issue of religious
freedoms in the conflict zones.

The Azeri online newspaper Day.az reports that the representative of
South Ossetia in Moscow Dimitri Medoev told journalists the forum
does not intend to create an alternate CIS as this belongs to the
“realm of fantasy.”

“The main topic of the discussion at the conference will be the
functioning and problems of secondary and higher education in terms
of freedom. The second issue will concern the issue of Orthodoxy in
free countries,” Medoev said.

Officials in Tbilisi, meanwhile, have condemned the meeting and blame
Russian officials for organizing it.

“The whole world can see the truth of who we are dealing with,”
Georgian Minister for Conflict Resolution Goga Khaindrava said on
Tuesday, referring to Russia. “The goal of the session is absolutely
unclear. The main thing is that it is pointless,” he added.

Speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze also disapproved of conference
calling it absurd. “It is a pity that we have to react and comment on
Zatulin’s initiatives. His initiatives as a rule don’t comply with the
norms of civilized societies and relations,” Burjanadze said Tuesday.

The Russian news agency Interfax writes that Burjanadze said arranging
such a conference is not in the interests of Russia, as recognition
of separatist regimes may serve as an impetus for destabilization in
the regions.

Russian media notes that in addition to the separatists leaders,
legislators from Syria, Estonia, Palestine, Russia and Armenia will
also participate in the conference.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress