The Innovated Framework Agreement

Process of Agreement Between Georgia and Russia is Extended

Process of negotiations between Georgia and the Russian Federation about working out the new framework agreement was delayed. Russian delegation was to visit Tbilisi on November 16-18. According to the Russian side, the fact that Georgia has no Minister of Foreign Affairs was the official reason for postponing the visit. Spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Georgia Kakha Sikharulidze claims Russian side is extending process of negotiations between the two countries.

Presidents of Georgia and the Russian Federation signed a framework agreement about friendship, peaceful relationship and cooperation on November 3, 1994. Georgian Parliament ratified the document but Russian Duma Council refused to ratify it somehow. Aiming to establish civilized partnership with its neighboring country Georgia expresses its kind will once again and suggests the RF to prepare a new framework agreement.

A framework agreement is an overall document laying certain responsibilities on the two countries. It is a basis for other particular agreements and covers almost all the spheres. After each state departmentshave stated their positions taking their competence into consideration the Foreign Affairs Ministry combines them and puts them in one framework agreement.

The two partner counties outline the agreements separately and them combine them. The document is put in action only after the Presidents sign it and the legislative governmental branches ratify it.

Georgia has made framework agreement with its neighboring countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey as well as with its distant neighbor Ukraine.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Georgia, the reason why the Russian side refused to ratify the framework agreement was that the RF had no such political will. Correspondingly, the agreement was not activated keeping bad conditions in the existing legal basis.

Together with the new reality (since 1994 Russian border guard troops left Georgian territory, part of Russian military bases were pulled out from Georgia, Georgia became a member of the Council of Europe and the World Trade Organizations, etc.) it became essential to look over the old framework agreement and amend it. Russian side welcomed the initiative.

The both sides agreed about half a year ago on establishing commissions, which would lead talks regarding the new framework agreement. Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister Irakli Menagharishvili headed the Georgian commission, while head of the RF Duma committee on cooperation and relation between the CIS countries Boris Pastukhov led it from the Russian side.

Special Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Mikheil Ukleba points out the fact that while the Georgian side formed the commission in summer, the Russian side created it three weeks ago only. “Normally, both sides should be eager to support the process of activating the document. But Russia somehow expresses no political and economic will to deepen relations and pass the agreement”, Ukleba states.

After having formed commissions the two sides agreed on starting negotiations regarding the framework agreement by mid November. But the fact that the post of the Foreign Affairs Minister of Georgia is presently vacant the visit of Russian delegation with the leadership of Boris Pastukhov was delayed for undefined term. During the meeting the two sides were intending to initiate the process of negotiations and combine their versions of the document.

“In the terms of present world globalization and integration it is impossible for two neighboring sides not to have a normal legal basis, especially a framework agreement, which expresses both political and economical wills of the partner countries”, Mikheil Ukleba states. He says it is confusing for him that on one hand Russia asks for cooperation and forming legal agreement, but on the other hand, Russian Duma Council and the Generality acts in the opposite was and clearly shows aggression against Georgia.

At the end it may be said that if there is no political will between the two neighboring countries just the framework agreement can never strengthen normal and peaceful relations between them. If the Russian Federation bombs the Georgian territory and violates the international law what can hinder it from violating this particular framework agreement which is of a lower stage.

By Salome Jashi, Civil Georgia