The Moscow Times, Russia
Sept 8 2008

Security Bloc Slams Georgian Attack

08 September 2008

Russia secured measured backing Friday from six other former Soviet
nations for its war in Georgia.

Members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization stopped short,
however, of following Russia’s example in recognizing the independence
of Georgia’s two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

President Dmitry Medvedev said he and other leaders of nations that
are members of the security pact signed a declaration Friday
condemning Georgia’s attack aimed at regaining control of its
breakaway province of South Ossetia.

The declaration said members of the group are "deeply concerned about
an attempt by Georgia to solve the conflict in South Ossetia by force,
which has led to numerous casualties among civilian population and
peacekeepers and entailed grave humanitarian consequences."

The declaration also supported an "active role of Russia in helping
peace and security in the region" and spoke about the need to "ensure
firm security for South Ossetia and Abkhazia."

The statement represented a victory for the Kremlin, which has
struggled to expand its base of support.

Medvedev put a positive gloss on the failure of the alliance members
to recognize the independence of the two regions.

"As for the independence issue, it is quite natural that all of our
Collective Security Treaty Organization partners will separately
formulate their position on this matter … naturally, being guided by
their national interests while doing so," Medvedev said at a news
conference. "Russia believes this is absolutely right."

The Russian-led security group links Russia with Armenia, Belarus and
four Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. The support from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which have
been courted by the West, is particularly important for Russia.

Only a few countries, including Cuba and Venezuela, had previously
backed Russia’s action, and only Nicaragua has followed Russia’s lead
in recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

A week earlier, Russia failed to win full backing of its actions in
Georgia from another friendly alliance, the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, grouping Russia, China and the four Central Asian
republics.

Also at the news conference Friday, Medvedev sternly warned against
providing more assistance to Georgia, in an apparent reference to a $1
billion aid package to Tbilisi announced by Washington earlier in the
week.

"We don’t want Georgia, which acted as the aggressor, to continue to
arm itself in an uncontrolled way and with unknown aims and completely
unclear consequences," he said.

"It seems to me this is a lesson for the entire world community,
including for those who make decisions to provide Georgia with extra
financing and technical military cooperation," Medvedev said without
naming any country.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress