Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns Russia-South Ossetia military cooperation deal

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA) has condemned the ratification of a military agreement between Russia and South Ossetia by the Russian State Duma. The agreement  ensures the entry of South Ossetian armed units into the Russian armed forces, civil.ge reports.

“Ratification of this document is yet another illegal step taken by the Russian Federation towards the annexation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali regions of Georgia, in full disregard for the fundamental norms and principles of international law,” reads the Georgian Foreign Ministry’s official statement published on 24 January.

Georgian Foreign Ministry stressed that Moscow ‘blatantly violates the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, rejects and refuses to respect the commitment on the non-use of force, and deliberately impedes the establishment of international security arrangements on the ground.’

“Through such provocative steps the Russian Federation is trying to hinder the process of peaceful conflict resolution and potential progress made at the Geneva International Discussions. Moreover, Russia’s actions undermine the European security architecture and and aimed at destabilizing the situation in the entire region,” the MFA stressed in its statement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia called on the international community ‘to properly assess Russia’s far-reaching aggressive policy and take effective measures to prevent illegal processes in the occupied regions of Georgia’.

The military agreement, which was submitted to the State Duma for ratification by the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov, was signed in Moscow on 31 March 2017, and was ratified by the Parliament of Tskhinvali on 12 July 2017. The purpose of the agreement is to resolve issues of military service by the inhabitants of South Ossetia in the armed forces of Russia, specifically at the Russian military base located in that area.

In the State Duma the document was adopted unanimously, and was supported by 411 deputies.

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