Georgian President explains that the decision was taken with reference to a breakthrough seen within the UN Security Council resolution adopted on January 31.
“This is a historic resolution. This is a first case when the UN called upon the Abkhazian side to start negotiations on determination of the status of Abkhazia within the Georgian State,” Eduard Shevardnadze stated on February 4, in his traditional Monday broadcast.
The document regarding “Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi [capital of breakaway Republic of Abkhazia]” was prepared by the UN Secretary General’s Group of Friends on Georgia (Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and the United States).
The document details remain confidential, but Georgian officials hail its provisions that consider Abkhazia as a part of the Georgian state.
“Failure to prolong the Russian peacekeepers’ mandate would prevent the UN Security Council from adopting such an important resolution,” said President Shevardnadze. He also mentioned that the Group of Friends also advocated for continued presence of the Russian peacekeepers in Georgian-Abkhaz conflict area.
Protesters at the Enguri Bridge deplored the decision of the Georgian government. They demand withdrawal of the Russian units from Abkhazia and remain skeptical about the value of the UN resolutions.
On February 3 the protesters met President Shevardnadze in Tbilisi and despite presidents attempts to persuade them in the necessity of keeping the peacekeepers, declared that IDPs from Abkhazia would continue the protests with demands of withdrawal of the Russian peacekeepers.
Mandate of the CIS peacekeepers expired on December 31, 2001. Dispute regarding their presence in Abkhazia started back in October last year. That time the President promised the protesters gathered in front of the State Chancellery building to do everything for withdrawal of the Russian units from the conflict zone.
On October 11 the Georgian Parliament adopted the resolution, which considered future deployment of the peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone inappropriate.
After meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on November 30, President Shevardnadze radically changed his position towards the issue of the peacekeepers’ mandate. President Shevardnadze stated after the meeting that he did not insist on their withdrawal.
Current official demand of the Georgian government calls for adjustment of peacekeeper the mandate and withdrawal of the Russian units deeper into the Abkhaz territory to river Ghalidzga. The Georgian side believes that this would increase security for the ethnic Georgian returnees in Gali district. Furthermore, expansion of the security zone should facilitate secure return of thousands of IDPs to Gali district.
Issue of adjustment of the mandate of the peacekeepers must be discussed at the CIS summit scheduled for March 1, in Almaty.
As Shevardnadze stated on February 4, Russia, as well as certain other CIS states, have already preliminarily agreed with the adjustment of the mandate. However, the Abkhaz side remains adamantly opposed to such modification. The President says that this circumstance might cause certain difficulties in pushing through the Georgian plan at the summit.
The UN Secretary General’s special envoy to Georgia Dieter Boden states that prolongation of the mandate was the best way to avoid confrontation. “Now we can work on further improvements of the mandate of the peacekeepers” – said Boden on February 3.
On February 4 Dieter Boden left for Sukhumi to conduct negotiations with the government of the unrecognized republic. The paper on “Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competences between Tbilisi and Sukhumi” as well as the issue of modification of the mandate are likely to be discussed.
By Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia
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