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Shana Thomas

International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two breakaway republics in the Caucasus with disputed status over whether they are a part of Georgia or sovereign states.[1] The Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia were recognised following the 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia
  • South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia during the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War on 29 May 1992, with its Constitution referring to the "Republic of South Ossetia".[6][7][8] Abkhazia declared its independence after its war with Georgia in 1992–1993. Its Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1994.[9][10
  • Kosovo's declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 and its divided international acceptance prompted speculation that there could be implications for the frozen South Caucasus situation.
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  • In April 2008, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1808 that reaffirmed "the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders and supports all efforts by the United Nations and the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General, which are guided by their determination to promote a settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict only by peaceful means and within the framework of the Security Council resolutions
  • President Medvedev stated that "Western countries rushed to recognise Kosovo's illegal declaration of independence from Serbia. We argued consistently that it would be impossible, after that, to tell the Abkhazians and Ossetians (and dozens of other groups around the world) that what was good for the Kosovo Albanians was not good for them. In international relations, you cannot have one rule for some and another rule for others."[21]
  • After hearing the aforementioned appeals from both the Abkhazian and South Ossetian leadership, on 25 August 2008, the Federation Council and State Duma passed motions calling upon President Dmitry Medvedev to recognise the independence of both states and establish diplomatic relations.[15][16]
  • South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity flew to Moscow on 23 August 2008 to address the Federation Council of Russia, and in his appeal stated "what the Georgian leadership has done in South Ossetia can only be described as a Caucasian Stalingrad." On 25 August 2008, President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh also made a presentation to the Federation Council. In his address to the Council, Bagapsh stated "I can say for certain that Abkhazia and South Ossetia will never be part of Georgia."[15]
  • Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili considered Russia's move as an attempt to alter the borders of Europe by force. Below are some excerpts from his statement:[32] This is the first attempt on European territory ... since Hitler's regime and Stalin's Soviet Union where a large state is trying unilaterally, with the use of force, to completely crush a neighbouring country and openly annex its territory. This is inconceivable lawlessness and insolence ... Russia has done unthinkable damage to its place in the international community. The question of the re-establishment of the territorial integrity of Georgia and the protection of its freedom — this is not an internal Georgian problem, or a question of Georgia and Russia. This is now a question of Russia and the rest of the civilised world. Georgia's future, is not only the future of Georgia, this is the future of the whole civilised world...
    • Shana Thomas
       
      This section will be useful * debate card #3??
  • The European Union,[44] NATO,[45] the OSCE,[46] the United States[47] and other countries immediately voiced displeasure with Russia's decision
  • Comparisons with Kosovo
  • support Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
  • Ukraine categorically reprobates an adventurous decision of Russia to recognise the self-declared independence and calls for international community to combine efforts in relation to absolute confirmation and observance of territorial integrity of Georgia and implementation of the undertaken international obligations of Russia".
  • Ukraine does not support the decision of Russia to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. "We are sorry about [the] adoption of such a decision. For Ukraine it is unacceptable therefore we cannot support the position."[215] However, the parliament of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea passed a resolution, supporting independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, backing Russia's actions in the regions, and urging the Ukrainian parliament to "accept" the independence of these states
  • October 2009, Ukrainian Ambassador to Russia Kostyantyn Hryshchenko said that "We must not recognize neither Kosovo nor Abkhazia, nor South Ossetia in no case"
  •  Kosovo President of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu said that Kosovo cannot serve as an example for Russia to recognise South Ossetia or Abkhazia. He said, "We have always stressed that Kosovo has special characteristics; that it is sui generis and it cannot be used as a precedent for other conflict zones, areas or regions"
  • UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated that "the question of recognition of states is a matter for sovereign states to decide.
  • "this is in direct violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions regarding Georgia's territorial integrity, resolutions that Russia itself has endorsed. Russia's actions in recent weeks call into question Russia's commitment to peace and security in the Caucasus. NATO firmly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and calls on Russia to respect these principles".[156] In December 2009, following NATO summit it was announced that NATO member states will not recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia and called on Russia to reverse its decision.[262]
Caroline Yevak

Russia and Georgia: South Ossetia is not Kosovo | The Economist - 0 views

  • WITH a flourish, Russia this week recognised the “independ
  • ence” of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the enclaves that gave it a casus belli for its war on Georgia
  • The Russians saw it as a logical outcome of their victory, a further stage in their confrontation with the West—and a copy of what happened in Kosovo. As Russia’s president, Dmitry Medvedev, argued, “you cannot have one rule for some and another rule for others.”
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  • Never mind that Russia is itself being incoherent in continuing to insist that Kosovo’s independence from Serbia is still illegal
  • NATO’s air war on Kosovo and Serbia in 1999 was, like the Iraq war in 2003, conducted without the legal approval of the United Nations.
  • Last February’s recognition by many Western countries of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia again lacked formal UN blessing (thanks to Russia’s threatened veto).
  • Serbia’s Slobodan Milosevic long oppressed the Kosovo Albanians, as well as perpetrating war and ethnic cleansing right across former Yugoslavia. But it was the Georgians who ended up as the bigger victims of ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia in the 1990s, and have been again in South Ossetia in the past three weeks.
  • Motive provides an even clearer difference. Throughout the 1990s the Americans and Europeans were extremely reluctant to get involved in the Balkans.
  • After Milosevic’s withdrawal from Kosovo in 1999, the main role of the UN and NATO forces in the province was to protect the Serb minority and Serb religious sites. The Western powers devoted years to negotiations over the province’s future, culminating in UN-led talks under Martti Ahtisaari, a former Finnish president. Only when these failed, again thanks mainly to Russian intransigence, did Kosovo’s unilateral independence become inevitable.
  • Russia has nakedly pursued its own interests in the Caucasus. It did its utmost to provoke Mr Saakashvili into a fight. Its “peacekeepers” have made no pretence of protecting minorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
  • The difference between Kosovo and South Ossetia has been starker still in the war’s aftermath.
  • The Russians invaded Georgia in a fever of war enthusiasm; have refused to pull out and rejected attempts to internationalise the dispute; and have now recognised the enclaves’ independence less than three weeks after the war began.
  • bringing in the UN and international peacekeepers.
  •  
    Loading recommended tags...
Austin Buben

"Traditional Gap" In The ICJ's Advisory Opinion On Kosovo - 0 views

  • Of course, one can argue that the territorial integrity of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova has already been recognized by many international organizations and by the majority of states in the world. The UN Security Council, notably, adopted many resolutions affirming the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and Azerbaijan.47 That is why one could conclude that this standpoint reflects already the position of the international community, according to which the secession of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh has not been recognized (apart from Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru in Abkhazia’s and S. Ossetia’s case).
    • Austin Buben
       
      Shows the difference between Abkhazia being allowed their own independence and the international community recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Sovereign States; Which will never happen. (IF it would have, it already would have been expressed.)
  • The Court did not state in the Opinion that Kosovo through its declaration of independence effectively seceded from Serbia and thus the new state of “Kosovo” emerged. As it did not call into question the validity of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), which legitimizes the presence of international territorial administration in Kosovo, one can conclude that this resolution is still in force until a new resolution is adopted by the Council. In fact, according to this resolution, Kosovo shall only be given substantial autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia). Hence it can be stated that, from a legal point of view, Kosovo still can be seen as part of Serbia.
Kevin Gregor

No Comparison Between Kosovo And South Ossetia - 0 views

  • Under the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution, Kosovo was granted the status of an autonomous province with virtually the same rights and responsibilities as the six Yugoslav republics, granting Kosovo an implied right of secession. Kosovo's autonomy included its own identity, territory, international-relations powers, and representation in all organs of the Yugoslav Federation. As a result, Serbian actions to deprive Kosovo of its autonomy, beginning in 1989, were clearly inconsistent with the existing Yugoslav Constitution and law and with accepted international practice.South Ossetia had no such right under the Soviet Union. According to Article 72 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution only the 15 republics possessed the right to secede from the union. Georgia emerged from the Soviet Union as an internationally recognized, independent state, and South Ossetia was considered part of its territory.
Austin Buben

Jamestown Foundation Blog: ICJ's Kosovo Verdict Weakens Russian Position - 0 views

  • A second argument is that Abkhazia and “South Ossetia” declared their independence after a mass ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Georgians, and other ethnicities had artificially changed the demographic composition of the two regions. Russia’s military presence in those territories both before and after the war as well as the absence of proper international peace mechanisms have prevented the majority Georgian population from returning home. While in Kosovo the very purpose of the international mission was to help the Kosovar Albanians to return safely, hundreds of thousands of Georgians have not been allowed to go back to Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. Thus, unlike Kosovo, the de-facto authorities in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali do not represent the majority of the lawful residents in those territories but are merely puppet regimes whose declarations have no legitimacy. Recognizing the independence of the occupied territories would just legitimize the use of ethnic cleansing as a device to change international borders.The ethnic cleansing of Georgians has been officially recognized by the UN General Assembly, by the OSCE in 1994, 1996 and 1999 during its Budapest, Lisbon and Istanbul summits, and by several individual states. Paragraph 17 of the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit Document states: “We reiterate our strong condemnation as formulated in the Budapest and Lisbon Summit Documents of the ‘ethnic cleansing’ resulting in mass destruction and expulsion of predominantly Georgian population in Abkhazia, Georgia.”
    • Austin Buben
       
      Ethnic cleansing by Russia artificially turned the region of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from a Magority of Georgians into a minority who now want to declare independence.
Caroline Yevak

Russias Recognition of Independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia Is Illegitimate They... - 0 views

  • The current situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia bears no resemblance or moral equivalence to Kosovo's declaration of independence in February 2008.
  • The near-universal support for Kosovar independence stands in sharp contrast to the unilateralism exercised by Moscow over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Kosovo's independence was gained through the U.N. process with prior consultation and widespread unity.
  • When the majority of the European Union and the United States recognized Kosovo's independence, they acknowledged that such independence was the result of tough, tragic, violent, and unique circumstances.
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  • South Ossetia, with Moscow's assistance, is cleansing the area of ethnic Georgians, thereby essentially copying Serbia's effort to ethnically cleanse Kosovo.
  • Indeed, Moscow is currently considering basing a permanent military facility in Abkhazia.
    • Caroline Yevak
       
      Russian presence in SO & A
    • Caroline Yevak
       
      not parallel
  • Russia has pledged that it will go to any lengths to protect its gains in South Ossetia and Abkhazia
  • , and the West must not underestimate Moscow's determination to make good on that commitment.
  • Europe must quickly recognize that the Georgian situation cannot be undone and that more aggression is to be expected from Moscow.
Mckenzie Hudson

Violence in north Kosovo draws EU warning | Reuters - 0 views

  •  
    Another source about Kosovo violence
Mckenzie Hudson

RTS: Kosovo between Russia and America - 0 views

  • dence.
    • Mckenzie Hudson
       
      Realliy good article! info about how russia feels about kosovo indpendence
Mckenzie Hudson

India not to recognize Kosovo - 0 views

  • .' 'It has been India's consistent position that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be fully respected by all states,' the Indian government had said. According to officials, India is concerned that the Kosovo matter could set a 'dangerous precedent' for other cases around the world. India also grapples with internal secessionist issues in certain provinces. So
    • Mckenzie Hudson
       
      Big Countries like India are concerned that kosovo's independence might establish a dangerous precedent for similar issues around the world
Katy Field

CRIA » Kosovo Precedent - Applicable many Parts of the World, But Not Directl... - 0 views

  •  
    South
Kevin Gregor

Bad Borders, Good Neighbors - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • the country’s 1967 borders are not militarily defensible. But his use of this argum
  • Israel needs peace with the Palestinians, and that will likely require a return to the 1967 lines with a few adjustments. These borders can be made defensible if they come with a security package consisting of a joint Israeli-Palestinian security force along the West Bank’s border with Jordan, a demilitarized Palestinian state and a three-way Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian defense treaty. Combined with such a package, the balanced formula President Obama outlined in his May 19 speech can give Israel the security it needs and deserves.
Kevin Gregor

Israel and Palestine: Those indefensible 1967 borders | The Economist - 0 views

  • Perhaps one would need to consider the scenario of a surprise attack against Israel, such as the 1973 war, but fought within the 1967 borders.
Austin Buben

The independence precedent: If Kosovo goes free | The Economist - 0 views

    • Austin Buben
       
      Difference in Population
    • Austin Buben
       
      Reason why Georgia attacked Abkhazia and South Ossetia were because of the refugee camps in Georgia resulting from the discrimination of Georgians.
Caroline Yevak

Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Two Years of Independence, But No Peace - English pravda.ru - 0 views

  • However, the confrontation between Russia and Georgia still remains a big issue. The diplomatic ties between the two countries have not been restored. As a matter of fact, Russia and Georgia still remain in a state of war with each other. Georgia strongly refuses to conduct any talks with S. Ossetia and Abkhazia.
    • Caroline Yevak
       
      independence wont help true conflict of tension between Gerogia and Russia
Austin Buben

FT.com / Comment / Opinion - Why I had to recognise Georgia's breakaway regions - 0 views

  • Meanwhile, ignoring Russia’s warnings, western countries rushed to recognise Kosovo’s illegal declaration of independence from Serbia. We argued consistently that it would be impossible, after that, to tell the Abkhazians and Ossetians (and dozens of other groups around the world) that what was good for the Kosovo Albanians was not good for them. In international relations, you cannot have one rule for some and another rule for others.
    • Austin Buben
       
      Basically sums up my Tagline saying that Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia and the International Court of Justice's decision to recognize it as an independent state has heightened the debate over whether Abkhazia and South Ossetia should be considered independent states from Georgia.
Mckenzie Hudson

BBC News - Kosovo border violence on UN Security Council agenda - 0 views

  •  
    Putting up my good sources...
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