Georgia Suspended Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe With Russia

During the joint consulting group session, the Georgian delegation decided to suspend the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (TCAFE) with Russia.

Foreign ministry of Georgia stated that under the treaty, Georgia will continue implementation of its commitments towards other member states except Russia and expresses its readiness to support and participate in future consultations regarding restoration of the control over armed forces in Europe.

According to the foreign ministry, Georgia will no longer update Russian Federation with the information in the framework of annual information exchange which was implemented in accordance to the TCAFE. Besides that, Georgia will not send any reports to the Russian Federation in accordance to the Treaty and Georgia will no longer accept the inspections requested by the Russian Federation under the Treaty.

The Foreign Ministry reports that Georgian delegation wants to notify to other member-states of the TCAFE that Georgia is extremely concerned about Russia’s incompliance with the Treaty requirements and Flank document with its activities during last ten years.

The statement underlines that TCAFE was seriously damaged by constant negligence of its requirements by the Russian Federation. Georgian delegation states that since Russia did not meet its Istanbul commitments the adapted Treaty has been impossible to be ratified for the last ten years already.

The delegation states that Russia did not keep legal requirement about the agreement from the accepting state of the TCAFE and without the permission of the accepting country, Russia breached one of the fundamental principles of the Treaty by deploying military forces and armament in the territory of Georgia.

The statement notes that in December of 2007 Russia breached the Treaty by declaring unilateral moratorium on its implementation.

“In accordance to the TCAFE agreement, by unilateral suspension of commitments assumed under associated documents and Flank documents, including verification, exchange of information and quantity restriction resolutions, Russian Federation created serious threat for the European Security System. Moreover, in August of 2008, with its large-scale military aggression against Georgia, which ended with the occupation of the Georgian territories – Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, the Russian Federation blatantly violated both fundamental norms of the international law and one of the main principles of the TCAFE which is clarified in its preamble and obliges member states to refrain from the use of force or threat against territorial integrity or political independence of another state that is incompliant with the aims and principles of the UN Statute.” Currently, Russia has occupied 20% of the Georgian territory where, through violation of TCAFE and Cease-Fire agreement signed with the mediation of the EU, it continues illegal military constructions,” the statement reads.

According to the Georgian delegation, despite blatant violation of the international law and TCAFE by Russia, Georgia always implemented its obligations towards Russian Federation assumed under the Treaty and Flank document.

Interpresnews