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Policy on S.Ossetia, Abkhazia to remain unchanged – Medvedev
Published: 13 August, 2010, 16:27
Edited: 17 August, 2010, 13:33
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) meets with South Ossetia leader Eduard Kokoity in Sochi on August 13, 2010
TAGS: Conflict, Meeting, Medvedev, Georgia, Russia, Ossetian War, Politics
Moscow’s policy towards supporting South Ossetia and Abkhazia remains unchanged, President Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with his Ossetian counterpart Eduard Kokoity.
"There is not a single doubt, Russia's course is invariable, it has been achieved through much suffering," the Russian said, cited by itar-Tass. On Friday, Medvedev met with the South Ossetian president in Sochi.
Medvedev noted that August is a special month in relations between Moscow and Tskhinval. Last week, memorial events were held in the republics to mark two years since the bloody conflict in the Caucasus. On August 8, 2008, Georgian troops attacked the South Ossetian capital with artillery and tanks, starting a five-day war which left hundreds dead and forced thousands to flee their homeland.
"I would like to reiterate that the commitments Russia undertook two years ago to protect South Ossetian, Abkhazian, and Russian citizens were not easy ones, and the subsequent two years have proved that they were necessary," Medvedev said.
Back in August 2008, Russia sent forces to protect the people in conflict the area, many of whom were Russian citizens. After five days of bloody battles, the Georgian troops were pushed back to the border. Shortly after the war, Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Speaking on Friday, Medvedev said that decisions made two years ago have given the two republics possibilities to "develop and not to be extirpated through genocide”.
Medvedev recalled that last year he visited South Ossetia. "I hope to see for myself what is going on there now," he added.
Overall, he defined the Russian-South Ossetian relations as “friendly and close”.
“We have the main base for building relations, we have the agreement on friendship and co-operation between the two states,” Medvedev said. The two states will continue to develop their co-operation based on their agreements, he said.
Eduard Kokoity, for his part, thanked Russia for the support. “The South Ossetian people have been living in peace for two years; Russian border guards have been providing stability,” he said, adding that, “The process of development continues.”
13.08.2010, 13:03
4 comments
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Dmitri you have it backwards. The republics in the Caucuses watched Russia carefully to how it responded. The fact that Russia showed willingness to defend and protect the rights of Osstians, reassured those in the republics that they are important to Moscow. Only parts are in danger do to intelligence agencies and foreign funding to extremist and ethnic minorities in the remote regions of Dagestan. The poverty in some regions and lack of infrastructure makes easy breeding grounds for real terrorists. The FSB and Interior Ministry having special operations there makes people witnesses to death and can also increase recruitment. They need economic development and law and order while fighting corruption. That is a difficult task, but it is important. The FSB is better to search for external financial roots an eliminate them while building a strong economy for the people there.
Medvedev is astute enough to know that the Georgian troops were digging in to defend Tbilisi. The Russian 58th Army was not string enough to take Tbilisi and the Russian troops would have been trapped as the Germans were at Stalingrad. The only way Russian could have conquered Tbilsis is if the American trained and supplied troops suffered total panic and collapse. That would have changed the strategic balance, if NATO had come into Georgia, Russia would have had no choice but to back down, which would not have been good. In retrospect, Medvedev made the right decision which he accepted Nicolas Sarkozy's brokered "peace deal".
The Georgian troops were utterly routed, even with the "moral support" offered by the American contractors there who had just trained the Georgians with all that new equipment. I wondered at first why Russian troops did not enter the capitol and burn down the presidential palace, until I saw a map published by Spiegel news. The map showed where all the military bases were in Georgia, and that happened to overlap almost 100% with a map showing the sites of battles. The Russians avoided the capitol because there was nothing interesting there. What the army did was go AROUND Tbilisi and attack the 4 military bases around the capitol. I just laughed when I realized what had happened, and that I could predict where the next battle would be. I really think the Russian army shocked the plotters in Washington DC, because we did not expect either that Russia would invade or, if they did, that they would actually win. Then we had the nerve to demand return of 4 Hummers the army had captured, or a cash payment. I'm not sure which we wanted more, the equipment or the cash. That war was a fiasco on many levels, but not for the Russians.