Russia plays self-determination card without applying the principle to itself

Messenger ^ | June 5, 2006

[Tailgunner Joe]

Certain analysts feel that Russia's rhetoric regarding the existing conflicts in Georgia has radically changed. Representatives of official Moscow are starting to refuse to acknowledge Georgia's territorial integrity and name the principle of "national self-determination" as an argument in support of this stance.

However, at the same time Putin declared that Russia is not going to add any 'new territories' to its current borders. This uncertainty in Russian-Georgian relations may also be caused by the pending Putin-Saakashvili meeting that is to take place in St. Petersburg on June 13.

Georgia's territorial integrity was put under question by Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry representative Mikheil Kaminin, who commented that "the right of national self-determination no less a respected principle than that of territorial integrity." According to him, territorial integrity "regarding Georgia, is more of a possibility rather than the existing legally and politically determined reality." The news agency Rosbalti quotes Kaminin as saying that the restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity would be "possible only after complex negotiations, during which South Ossetia's basic position will rely on the principle of self-determination, which is not less acknowledged by international community than territorial integrity."

Kaminin went even further to say that he does not consider the Russian peacekeepers in the Tskhinvali region as being on the territory of the Georgian state and announced that "this place is under control of the Joint Control Commission," the newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika reports. It must be noted that of the commission's four representatives, three - Russia, and North and South Ossetia - in practice represent Russia and therefore according to this "democratic majority" Georgia is always going to be a minority, in addition Russia has the right to announce that the commission has done its job even without Tbilisi's participation in it - something which makes you wonder exactly what former president Eduard Shevardnadze was thinking when he agreed to these principles of the commission.

According to the news agency Rosbalti, the newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika reports, "The fact that Tbilisi cannot control South Ossetia at this point should also be taken into account, as it has been acknowledged as a zone of conflict on an international level and the regime on the territory is defined and controlled by the Joint Control Commission and the peacekeeping forces that are under its control."

According to Georgian analysts, Kaminin's statement is the first case in which a representative of official Moscow has openly questioned Georgia's territorial integrity, the newspaper Rezonansi reports. The fact that Kaminin's statement was not an anomaly was soon proven by the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov who called on the international community to acknowledge South Ossetia's "right for self-determination."

"The right for self-determination is a part of international law and this right is based on the people's will," said Lavrov.

The Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed its protest regarding these new arguments and "unbalanced rhetoric" of the Russian side, at the same time warning official Moscow that "such attitudes towards a neighboring state which accent the self-determination principle, considering Russia's historical experience, poses a danger to Russia's territorial integrity itself," the newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika writes.

While announcing the ministry's statement to journalists Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Merab Antadze explained what was meant by suggesting that such a situation could threaten Russian territorial integrity: "Such an attitude towards a neighboring state's territorial integrity and making accents on the principle of self-determination coming from a country that for the past century has been broadening its borders by incorporating the Northern Caucasus, Transdnestria, and other adjoining territories, may create a serious danger to the Russian Federation itself," Sakartvelos Respublika quotes Antadze as saying.

When official Moscow starts sounding off about the "principle of self-determination" everyone should think about Chechnya at the same time, although the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister counters this argument by pointing to the recent referendum that was held in Chechnya.

"The issue of holding a referendum in Chechnya did not frighten Russia and indeed a referendum was held there," said Lavrov, although the fact that the referendum which was held in Chechnya is generally considered to be unreliable is mentioned in the Georgian media.

"In reality, there are no limits to what can be said . . . Do you think the referendum in Chechnya was fair? It is almost ruled out to convince Russia of something, it does not fit and . . . that's all," writes Sakartvelos Respublika.

Moscow's statement on self-determination was already responded to by the rebel part of Chechnya. "While talking about the self-determination of South Ossetia, Russia should not forget about the self-determination of the Chechens," declared Chechen Foreign Affairs Minister in-exile Akhmad Zakaev who went on to accuse Russia of using a double standard, the newspaper Rezonansi reports.

Journalists became interested in what position the Georgian government will take towards Chechnya if the Russian Federation supports the incorporation of South Ossetia and if similar statements will be made in Tbilisi regarding the Chechens' right for self-determination, the newspaper Alia writes. Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Kote Gabashvili said that from the Georgian side it is too early to speak about the self-determination of Chechnya. "It's better to look after our own job and we are objective in our policy," the newspaper Rezonansi quotes Gabashvili as saying.

It is a fact that the upcoming Putin-Saakashvili meeting couldn't have come at a tenser time, although perhaps this could force the two leaders to push for actual results. Whatever happens, the results of the meeting could have far-reaching consequences.

[quantfive]

Another good post, thanks Tailgunner Joe.

[RusIvan]

Moscow's statement on self-determination was already responded to by the rebel part of Chechnya. "While talking about the self-determination of South Ossetia, Russia should not forget about the self-determination of the Chechens," declared Chechen Foreign Affairs Minister in-exile Akhmad Zakaev who went on to accuse Russia of using a double standard, the newspaper Rezonansi reports. ==

It is good to have them go.

If Montenegro and Kosovo has rights for self-determination then of cause Chechens, S.Osetians, Akhazians and Transnistria. Sametime Basks, N.Irland, Catalonia and so on.

West opened this Pandora box by invasion to Yugoslavia.

[G. Stolyarov II]

Thank you for the excellent post.

I think that the Putin government is exerting pressure on Georgia at present in an attempt to punish Georgia for establishing a freer government than Putin likes; Georgia and Ukraine have both greatly departed from the authoritarian practices of the regimes in Russia and Belarus, and Putin's government conveniently has border disputes with both the Ukraine and Georgia at this time. It is, I think, a case of an authoritarian government trying to limit freer governments.

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