Georgia expresses concern over Russia-Tskhinvali treaty

/By AzerNews/

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

The Georgian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to prevent the annexation of Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region by Russia.

The Ministry strongly condemned the draft of new treaty between Russia and Tskhinvali region.

"We need a strong and united support of the international community to stop Russian military aggression, occupation and finally annexation,” the December 23 statement said.

Works on a new treaty on allied relations and integration between Russia and the so-called South Ossetia will be finished by late January 2015, said Vladislav Surkov, Russian president’s aide, in an interview with ITAR TASS news agency during his working visit to Tskhinvali.

"The economic hardship in Russia will not impede the fulfillment of its liabilities, since we cannot let down our strategic partners,” he noted.

Tbilisi criticized the treaty as an act of annexation of Georgia's territory and violation of the international law.

"Tskhinvali region is part of Georgia's territory and illegal military invasion or any other form of integration by Russia in the region amount to an act of aggression, occupation and de facto annexation, which stand against Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the statement noted.

The ministry added that the so-called treaty violates the responsibility taken by Russia under the ceasefire agreement in 2008.

The Ministry outlined the main illegal points of the new agreement, saying that Russia provides defense and safety of the so-called South Ossetia, as the armed forces and state security services of South Ossetia will become a part of the Russian federal armed force and security service. Moreover, the Tskhinvali "puppet regime” intend to give all power to Russia on its customs issues and create a united customs service. The Russian legislation will also be spread on the territory of Tskhinvali region in terms of the economic, educational, social, cultural and the other spheres.

Meanwhile, Georgia called on the UN Security Council to consider the so-called treaty signed with Abkhazia and recognize it as Russia's attempt to annex the Georgian territory.

According to the Georgian mission to the UN, Georgia’s partner countries supported the country’s position in a closed session of the Security Council.

The representatives of Lithuania and Great Britain condemned the conclusion of the contract between Sukhumi and Moscow, recognizing it as the beginning of the annexation of Georgia's territory by Russia. They said such agreements threaten the sovereignty of Georgia and pose a threat to the regional security.

Moscow rejected to consider the previous Russia-Abkhazia treaty on alliance and strategic partnership. The Russian side believes that the agreement between the two sides should not spark concerns among the UN members, according to the Georgian media.