Georgia, Tbilisi, Feb. 18 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia/
Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with the agreement between Russia and the so-called "Republic of Abkhazia" to establish a joint military base.
"Russia is increasing its military presence in the occupied territories of Georgia, an obvious confirmation of which is an agreement between Russia and the so-called "Republic of Abkhazia" signed on February 17, 2010 in Moscow, about the establishment of a joint military base in Gudauti. The validity term of the agreement is 49 years, with the possibility of further extension for 15 years," the statement said.
The statement underscored that under the joint Russo-Georgian statement at the OSCE Istanbul Summit in 1999 (which is the 14th amendment to the final act of the Conference of Member States of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe) Russia undertook a responsibility to close the military base in Gudauti before July 1, 2001. Despite the fact that the then president of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia's base in Gudauti is closed, the mentioned base has continued to operate in violation of Russia's assumed international obligations, and in the subsequent years, which is well known to the international community," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
"Russia tries to impose its "new model of European security" on the entire international community to legalize these illegal actions," the statement said..
Moscow aims to give legitimacy to its military occupation and annexation of Georgian lands as legal. These actions of Russia in the occupied regions are carried out without any control, because all international observation missions have been squeezed out from the occupied regions of Georgia through the Kremlin's efforts and Russia is the country resisting actions of international monitoring mechanisms in these regions of Georgia," said the statement.
Implementation of the expansionist plans of Russia poses a real danger not only to Georgia but also the Caucasus and Black Sea regions.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry voiced its strong protest in connection with the intensive militarization of the occupied regions of Georgia by Russia and urged the international community to duly assess Russia's actions illegal, and to take decisive action to stop them.
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