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Sense of Guiltiness and Participation

October 1, 2009

Reinhard Veser

President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili lost both military and political war with Russia.

Special fact-finding mission of the EU studied the five-day war between Georgia and Russia and officially concluded what was previously only suspected: Saakashvili was the person who crossed red line in August of 2008 and his action resulted into large-scale hostilities between the two states in South Ossetia.

The conflict caused serious tragedy for both Georgian and Ossetian peoples and the country, maybe, forever lost the two break-away regions. It makes no difference while assessing the activities of the president of Georgia as a statesman – he was lying when claiming that Georgian army attacked South Ossetia only after Russian troops intervened in Georgia; or maybe he was trying to persuade himself (it is absolutely possible).

Threaten and Blackmail

Nevertheless, guiltiness of Saakashvili does not discharge Moscow from responsibility and it does not demonstrate its policy to be improved. During many years, the Kremlin hindered the effort of the international community to improve the situation in the South Caucasus region. Instead using its influence on the region to resolve conflicts in Georgia and in its break-away regions, Russia supported and governed separatists in the South Ossetia. In spring of 2008 the situation was escalated in Abkhazia by Russian provocations.

Consequently, now the West, since Saakashvili is a bad guy, cannot consider the Georgian war with Russia only a pity accident. If Saakashvili stays in the position, the West shall support the country and integrate it into western structures if they do not want to encourage the hawks of the Kremlin to oppress republics of the former Soviet Union in their striving for the democracy and western orientation. Of course, the Western states shall maintain positive relations with Russia. But pragmatic policy of the NATO and EU for eastern partners in regard with Russia shall be acceptable only when there is no double understanding of principle issues.

See the original text of the article on:
 
http://www.faz.net/s/Rub7FC5BF30C45B402F96E964EF8CE790E1/Doc~E5D6A33E672E944E598936D9C40F3B1EE~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html 

Source: Foreignpress.ge

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