OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON THE

UNCLAS STATE 091703

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OSCE PREL PGOV PHUM GG
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: STATEMENT ON THE
SITUATION IN GEORGIA


1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at the
September 3, 2009, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in
Vienna:

Begin text:

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

Today, a year after the August 2008 war, the situation in
Georgia remains a matter of grave concern. A little over a
year ago, Russia invaded a sovereign state, in clear
violation of the principles and commitments of the Helsinki
Final Act, and then unilaterally declared the separatist
regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to be independent
states. Russia has nonetheless stationed thousands of
Russian forces in both regions and posted hundreds of Russian
border guards along the administrative boundary lines. Now,
Russia intends to deepen military and economic ties still
further, according to plans announced by Russian Prime
Minister Putin on his August 12 visit to the Abkhazia region.

These acts are matters of great concern, as is the plight of
civilians. Human rights abuses in the separatist regions
are serious and ongoing. We regularly hear reports of
abductions, detentions, robberies, and home demolitions,
often directed against persons of Georgian ethnicity, and we
frequently receive reports of explosions and gunfire along
the administrative boundary lines. Civilians' freedom of
movement is restricted, with men and women encountering
difficulties when only going about their daily lives. We
strongly urge all parties to respect the human rights of all
individuals in the conflict areas, and to work to create
conditions for the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of
internally displaced persons and refugees.

We once again call again on Russia to meet its August 12 and
September 8 ceasefire commitments. Russia committed not only
to withdraw its troops to positions held prior to the start
of hostilities, but also to provide free and unhindered
humanitarian access to the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions
of Georgia. Russia's characterization of these regions as
independent does not relieve it of these commitments.

International support for efforts to restore security and
stability in Georgia is critical. The OSCE, the UN, and the
EU have coordinated the Geneva discussions on Georgia and
facilitated meetings of the joint incident prevention and
response mechanisms agreed in February. Recent meetings have
allowed for useful discussions of security incidents and
improved communication across the administrative boundary
lines. We hope participants will continue to meet regularly,
and will make full use of hotlines and other means of
preventing conflict. Regrettably, certain acts, like the de
facto South Ossetian authorities' decision on August 12 to
deny the Chairmanship's special representative access to
Tskhinvali, are not conducive to progress.

We once again commend the EU for playing a particularly
valuable role in Georgia. Although denied access to South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, the EU Monitoring Mission has done an
admirable job in objectively monitoring implementation of the
August 12 and September 8 ceasefire agreements, and providing
accurate reports about developments on the ground. As the
anniversary of the August war approached, monitors
intensified their patrols along the administrative boundary
lines, and helped to defuse tensions while providing valuable
insight into events on the ground. We fully support the
mission, and continue to back its call for unrestricted
access to the whole of Georgia, including its South Ossetia
and Abkhazia regions. It is only with this access that
monitors can accurately assess reports of violence and
prevent them from escalating.

As we work toward a long-term, peaceful resolution of the
conflict, continued OSCE engagement in Georgia is essential,
particularly as Georgia continues its efforts to strengthen
its democracy. We urge Georgia to pursue vigorously
political and economic reforms, continue to engage the
opposition in constructive dialogue, and investigate reports
of mistreatment of opposition members.

We deeply regret that the Russian Federation did not accept
the Greek Chairmanship's proposal for a continued OSCE
presence in Georgia earlier this summer. We continue to hope
Russia will reconsider its stance in the name of objective
monitoring and humanitarian access.

In closing, let me reiterate my government's support for
Georgia's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity
and strengthening of its democratic institutions within its
internationally recognized borders.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
CLINTON