The Messenger, Georgia
Sept 15 2005

Separatist states make plea for recognition
By Anna Arzanova

A two-day conference of representatives of unrecognized separatist
republics in post-Soviet space described by an organizer as the
“Alternative CIS” got underway in Moscow on Wednesday, September 14.

Russian politicians opened the forum with criticism of Georgian
policy. “I want to draw attention to the fact that there are parallel
worlds, as in fiction. We have a world of recognized countries and
unrecognized countries,” said Director of the Russia’s Institute for
CIS Studies and member of the CIS Affairs Committee in the State Duma
Konstantin Zatulin.

He stressed that as long as these two worlds are separate, the CIS
cannot be an effective organization; “we are talking about an
alternative CIS. But the CIS itself is not well organized either.” He
also criticized NATO member states for providing Georgia with arms.

Zatulin compared the Georgian authorities to children and attempted
to draw an analogy. “Why are matches kept from children? Because
children cannot be responsible for the ensuing results,” he said.

He stated that the human rights are the most important and that “this
concept should be applied equally to people who have been living or
lived in the conflict zones as well as all the people who have never
heard about the conflicts.”

Taking part are government representatives from Abkhazia and South
Ossetia (Georgia), Transdnestria (Moldova), and Nagorni Karabakh
(Azerbaijan), in addition to political analysts, MPs of the Russian
State Duma and other politicians.

At the opening session, the participants of the conference, which was
organized by the Institute of CIS Countries, mainly discussed the
issue of laying the groundwork for international recognition of the
de facto republics and the protection of the human rights of the
people living in the conflict zones.

Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Modest Kolerov
in an interview with journalists stated that the only thing that can
impede the existence of the de facto states as real countries is
“bloody war.”

“The main thing that supports and strengthens them is peace and
reality. Those who do not want war to take place are forced to take
this fact into account,” he stated.

On September 13, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia released a
statement that addresses the decision of the Government of the Czech
Republic to hand over ammunition to Tbilisi on a free of charge
basis.

According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all this may
increase the temptation of Tbilisi to use force against Sokhumi and
Tskhinvali, which would seriously destabilize the situation not only
in Georgia, but throughout the Caucasus as well.

“It should also be remembered that arms might fall into the hands of
international terrorists, who will subsequently spread throughout the
region and also, not inconceivably, beyond. All of this cannot but
arouse concern,” writes the Information and Press Department of the
Ministry.

Speaking at the conference, representative of the breakaway republic
of South Ossetia in Russia Konstantin Dzugaev asked Russia to render
assistance in the military and economic spheres to South Ossetia.

He stated that if Russia does not raise the pensions and salaries it
distributes to the Tskhinvali population to equal those distributed
within Russia, the demographic situation in South Ossetia would
become aggravated. As a result, Dzugaev said, “there would be no
necessity to protect anybody.”

“Recognize these republics. With this step not only will vitally
important problems be solved, but important human values such as
justice will be upheld and protected. We have been living for fifteen
years in bad conditions and have been defending the pro-Russian
choice,” Dzugaev stated at the forum.

Dzugaev went on to praise the Ossetian people by saying that they are
a most diligent people and are unwaveringly devoted to the Ossetian
government.

A representative of the Abkhaz de facto republic Igor Akhba described
Abkhazia is an independent state with its own political and economic
structures.