Posted on 10/19/2005 7:06:09 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
On October 15 in Moscow, officials from the presidential administration and other Kremlin-connected figures hosted a "Forum on Democracy and Multiculturalism in the Euro-East." The participants included representatives of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Karabakh, activists of pro-Russia parties and associations from several post-Soviet countries, and Moscow figures who -- according to Kremlin consultant Gleb Pavlovsky, speaking at the Forum -- "play a major if often shadowy role in developing Russia's real policy" (Regnum, October 15).
Outlining geopolitical challenges and opportunities to Russia, Pavlovsky noted that the United States is focusing its hostile attention on Belarus, "our basic military-political ally." In the Balkans, the ongoing separation of Kosovo from Serbia could serve as a precedent and model for conflict-resolution on Russia's terms, Pavlovsky claimed.
The other Kremlin-connected keynote speaker, Sergei Markov, observed, "This is the only forum where the flags of both Georgia and Abkhazia, both Moldova and Transnistria are displayed simultaneously. So here we have the chance to develop a dialogue between unrecognized states and the states from which they have withdrawn" (Russian Television Channel One, October 15). Markov called for Georgia to become a federation, the Russian language to become an official language alongside Georgian, and Georgia's constitution to empower Russia as the guarantor of the rights of national minorities (Imedi TV, October 15).
Modest Kolerov, head of the Russian Presidential Administration's Directorate for Interregional and External Ties (mainly responsible for liaison with pro-Moscow groups in Eurasia) clarified the concept of post-Soviet "multiculturalism" as entailing in practice a privileged official role for the Russian language, as well as special dispensations for Russia-oriented minorities under Russia's oversight in post-Soviet countries. Kolerov assessed such "multiculturalism" as "a task and a goal that, unfortunately, have yet to be accomplished in the post-Soviet space"; and predictably castigated Latvia and Estonia for not adhering to such multiculturalism (RIA-Novosti, October 15).
The prominent commentator Vitaly Tretyakov noted that a CIS that is "nearing its end as a political organization" cannot serve as a mechanism for pursuing that concept of multiculturalism in the post-Soviet space. Tretyakov urged the Russian government to seek international recognition for the Russian people as a "dismembered people" and reshape its policy accordingly. As part of such a policy, he recommended that Russia should purchase Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia, or lease the two territories for 150 to 200 years, based on the fact that the populations in the two territories are citizens of Russia. Tretyakov is a Kremlin-licensed ultranationalist with a regular column in the governmental Rossiiskaya gazeta.
Georgia seemed to be the main target of attack at the Forum. The Abkhaz "national security council secretary" Stanislav Lakoba as well as Konstantin Kochiev, identified as "state secretary" of South Ossetia, called for recognition of the two territories' secession from Georgia with the argument that Russia had already conferred its citizenship to most residents there. This seemed to confound some anti-Western activists from Tbilisi attending the Forum. One of these, Malkhaz Gulashvili of Forward Georgia, argued that the Georgian government must work closely with Russia to change the latter's policy and help restore Georgia's territorial integrity. The "Samegrelo movement" leader Alexander Chachiya asked Russia to act decisively as the "center of gravity of Eurasian civilization," and in that spirit resolve the frozen conflicts in accordance with Russian interests or alternatively face the dismemberment of Russia itself.
Georgia's Labor Party and Justice Party were also represented at the conference. The "human rights activist" Maia Nikolaishvili announced that she has set up in Georgia an "Anti-Soros Foundation" to combat the phenomenon of "Soros-ism." She -- that is, probably, the organizers through her -- called for setting up similar "anti-Soros foundations" in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other countries where American-sponsored NGOs are active.
Speakers at the Forum criticized the "color revolution countries and Moldova" for allegedly violating democracy. The sharpest accusations were directed at Georgia and Moldova for "mass repressions, persecution of political opposition, electoral frauds," and "violating the rights of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic minorities." Significantly, the accounts of the Forum in Russian media carefully avoided naming Ukraine as a "color revolution country" or violator of democracy. Although some speakers may well have criticized Ukraine as well or at least made demands for "multiculturalism" in that country, the official reports from the Forum did not.
The Forum was the third event of this type (under slightly varying names) since July, and a fourth event is scheduled for December. The Kremlin seems to be in the process of institutionalizing a neo-Comintern of hard-core activists promoting Russia's geopolitical agenda, largely though not only through the manipulation of ethnic issues, now fashionably repackaged as "multiculturalism."
Dimitrij Rupel, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, calls last minute settlement negotiations for South Ossetia Following Georgia's presentation of a political settlement plan on South Ossetia to the OSCE Permanent Council, the Russian side has apparently enlisted the OSCE Chairmanship's assistance in derailing Georgian initiatives on that issue ahead of the OSCE's year-end ministerial conference. Anxious to avoid controversy at that upcoming event, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Dimitrij Rupel of Slovenia urgently called a negotiating session, hoping to prepare some document that could rescue the year-end conference in Slovenia's capital from irrelevance or failure. Such rush has become a common practice in the run-up to the OSCE's year-end meetings, particularly on issues involving "frozen conflicts"; and it tends to take the form of concessions to Russia as the stronger side.
The Joint Control Commission (JCC), which oversees the ceasefire in South Ossetia, met on November 16-17 in Ljubljana in the 13 year-old format: Georgia, South Ossetia, Russia, and Russia's North Ossetia region (a ratio of 3:1 against Georgia) plus the OSCE as observer. Opening the session, Rupel startled the Georgian delegation by endorsing the "existing mechanism" (a familiar Moscow phrase opposing internationalization of the format) and suggesting a "highest-level meeting" of those four parties to discuss settlement negotiations and related issues. Russia's envoy, Valery Kenyaykin, then fleshed out Rupel's proposal by calling for an urgent meeting among Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, "president" Eduard Kokoiti of South Ossetia, and North Ossetia's head Taymuraz Mamsurov, to be held at Putin's residence in Sochi before the end of November (i.e., just days ahead of the OSCE's year-end conference) and to focus on political settlement issues. On cue, the South and North Ossetian delegates supported the proposal.
Rupel's and Moscow's proposal abruptly departed from the decision, reached at several JCC sessions (always in the OSCE's presence and with its approval, most recently in October 2005) on holding a meeting between Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Kokoiti to discuss demilitarization of the "conflict zone" and economic rehabilitation of South Ossetia. The Georgians had all along insisted logically on demilitarization to be achieved ahead of political-settlement negotiations, and for those political negotiations to be held in an internationalized format, not the Russian-dominated JCC.
The Kenyaykin-Rupel proposal would: 1) cement the Moscow-dominated format and endow it with political functions beyond ceasefire-supervision; 2) counter Georgia's recent proposals for an internationalized format that would include the United States and the European Union; 3) avoid focusing on demilitarization, which Georgia (along with its Western friends) deems a prerequisite to political settlement negotiations; 4) try to rush through a conference-saving political document for the year-end meeting that could tie Georgia's hands; and 5) place the democratically elected president of Georgia on the same footing as Russian-installed authorities in Tskhinvali, implicitly seeking to legitimize the latter.
Rupel's implicit endorsement of Moscow's proposal in his opening remarks left the Georgians with the uneasy feeling of having been blindsided by a coordinated move by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the OSCE's Chairmanship. After delivering his remarks, Rupel exited the session, leaving behind a representative who failed to enlighten the startled Georgians about the reasons behind this abrupt departure from the JCC's earlier decisions.
Georgia's representative, State Minister for Conflict Resolution Giorgi Khaindrava, termed unaccepable any attempt at equating Georgia's President with a South Ossetian "president." Khaindrava attempted to speak about the first stage of Tbilisi's action plan for a political settlement, but he was loudly interrupted several times by South Ossetia's chief negotiator, Boris Chochiyev, who also managed to have the press evicted so as to deny Khaindrava a public audience.
The session lasted through the night (interrupted by walkouts) until the dawn hours and ended without results. "It proved once again that it is impossible to continue working in this format," Khaindrava concluded. The JCC's protocol recorded Georgia's call to internationalize the format and the other side's support for the "existing format" and a meeting of presidents in that same format.
In Tskhinvali, Kokoiti sarcastically urged Georgia to "discuss any proposals directly with South Ossetia, not America or Australia." He rejected the proposed internationalization of the negotiating format and insisted on maintaining the Russian "peacekeeping" operation in its existing form.
In Tbilisi, Parliamentary Chair Nino Burjanadze (citing a Russian proverb) characterized Moscow's policy as "brawn instead of brain" and asserted, "We will never regard Kokoiti as equal to our country's president. If the Russian side suggests to the international community that their president be considered equal to Kokoiti, it is their problem." Nogaideli declared that the Ljubljana meeting has again demonstrated the "JCC's incapacity" and the need for Western participation in the negotiations. Minister of Foreign Affairs Gela Bezhuashvili made public his telephoned remarks to Rupel that the JCC and "peacekeeping" formats have "totally exhausted any usefulness and must therefore be transformed."
Last month, the Georgian parliament gave Moscow until February 2006 to cooperate on unfreezing the political settlement process or, alternatively, face Georgian demands for withdrawal of Russian "peacekeeping" troops from Georgia's legally recognized sovereign territory in South Ossetia.
Abkhazia: Europe's Trap Door - "Wahhabi organizations have sprung up on the territory of Abkhazia, and where Wahhabis are, terrorists are not far behind."
Russia welcomes Balkans' integration into EU - "The role of the EU in the region will be constantly increasing until the issue of Balkans' integration in the European community is resolved."
Russia says UN should continue monitoring Kosovo - "Moscow has always advocated the key role of the UN in every stage of the Kosovo settlement."
Putin praises role of International Court of Justice - "The very existence of the International Court of Justice in the system of the United Nations is a major condition for the stability and lawfulness of the organization..."
**Russia signs International Criminal Court treaty!!!**
Russia Warns U.S. not to Break International Law in Afghan Attack
Russia Urges Respect for "International Law" With Al-Qa'idah Suspects
Iraq war unjustified: Putin - "Anything done without the sanction of the UN Security Council, cannot be accepted as just and justified."
Putin blasts US war in Iraq - "The use of force abroad, according to existing international laws, can only be sanctioned by the United Nations. This is the international law."
I hope US learns 'Iraqi lessons': Putin - "We have repeatedly called our American partners' attention to this reality. And eventually they realised the need to reach a political settlement in Iraq using the UN mechanisms. I believe that the new administration will undoubtedly bear in mind 'Iraqi lessons' when determining its foreign policy."
Putin Wants U.N. to Take Lead in Iraq
Russia's Putin urges US to give UN role in Iraq - "The faster we go along the path as set down by international law, the better it will be. The longer we delay a resolution within the U.N. framework, the more it will look like a colonial situation."
UN must lead global fight against terrorism -Putin
Putin meets Annan, praises global UN role - "We have no other effective mechanism for resolving international problems today."
Annan praises Putin as Russia formally accedes to Kyoto Protocol - "This is a historic step forward in the world's efforts to combat a truly global threat."
Putin Calls for Global Fight Against Terrorism Under UN Flag - a "new global constitution free of Cold War stereotypes"
"Putin also said that if international agreements and Russian laws contradicted each other, the former take precedence."
Classic Soviet tactics. First, Russian courts are a travesty, under his control. Second, Russia would never allow an International Court to impinge its sovereignty.
But Russia is well situated enough in the UN to probably avoid any problem with the Court. If there is a problem, he will just ignore such a ruling.
"All the former-Soviets really want is a new Soviet Union. That is what Putin and gang really want."
Agreed.
"Putin Calls for Global Fight Against Terrorism Under UN Flag - a "new global constitution free of Cold War stereotypes""
OK Vladimir, try this: stop building nuclear plants and giving intercontinental ballikstic missile technology to Iran, the biggest open state supporter of terrorism on the planet. Can't do it? Because you are the biggest supporter of terrorism---but its covert.
This Slovenian chairman need to be removed, I have watched his pathetic policy towards Kremlin from some time. He is member of Social Democratic Party of Slovenia... His name is hardly Slovenian too... This is how things looks like when the chairman of international organization coming from tiny country.
Right. You can take the KGB away from the man, but you cannot take the KGB OUT of the man. He is KGB, communist, through and through.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.