http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072301541.html
Vice President Says Conflict With Russia Won't Be Solved With Militarization, Encourages Nation to Pursue Democratic Reforms
By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, July 23, 2009; 9:56 AM
TBILISI, Georgia, July 23 -- Vice President Biden put off a request from Georgia for new defensive weapons on Thursday and told the nation's leaders they would never be able to use military means to recover territories lost in last year's war with Russia, a senior administration official said.
Biden also urged Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to do more to deepen democratic reforms in this former Soviet republic. He later held a long meeting with
four opposition leaders who have condemned Saakashvili as a despot and argued that the Bush administration had coddled him.
As he prepared to address parliament at the end of a four-day trip to Ukraine and Georgia, Biden continued to deliver a mixed message of what an advisor called "tough love," emphasizing again that the United States would not sacrifice the two former Soviet republics as it seeks to improve relations with Russia, nor recognize the Kremlin's claim to a sphere of "privileged interests" in the region.
In a sign that Obama administration's balancing act was being scrutinized in Moscow, the Russian government issued a stern warning that it would not allow Georgia, which it says was the aggressor in last year's war, to re-arm itself.
"We will continue inhibiting rearmament of the Saakashvili regime and are taking concrete measures against this," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told the ITAR-Tass news agency.
"We have a deep worry regarding the activity of the Georgian leadership over remilitarizing its country, which several states are responding to in a surprisingly calm and positive way," he added, vowing that Russia would limit or suspend military and economic cooperation with countries that supply arms to Georgia.
Saakashvili had urged Biden to speed up delivery of antiaircraft and antitank weapons that Georgian officials have argued would help deter and slow a Russian attack. In an interview on Tuesday, Saakashvili said a U.S. decision not to provide the weaponry would be a sign of weakness that would encourage the Russians to invade.
"We are a country under attack, under partial occupation," he told Biden at the start of their meeting.
But a senior administration official, briefing reporters after the meeting on condition of anonymity, said Biden refused to commit to arms deliveries and instead argued that the Georgian military needed further training and non-material help.
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"A key for Georgia here is the modernization of its military, building its capacities, and at this stage, it's not so much a matter of weaponry or military hardware," he said. The Pentagon will continue working to train the Georgian military "to hypothetically use some of the weaponry they desire," the officials said.
Biden also postponed a decision on a Georgian suggestion that the United States join a European Union civilian monitoring mission along the border of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway regions that Russia recognized as independent from Georgia after the war.
In an interview with the BBC, Biden said the administration was open to the idea but had not received a request from the Europeans on the matter.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Getty Villa Presents Treasures from the Republic of Georgia, the Land of the Golden Fleece
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=32060
LOS ANGELES, CA.- In a spectacular display of archaeological finds, The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani, on view from July 16–October 5, 2009, at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, presents more than 140 objects from one of the most celebrated archaeological sites in the Republic of Georgia, including four recently excavated bronze lamps, shown together for the first time.
Vani was an important settlement in the ancient kingdom of Colchis, a region best known as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their mythical quest for the Golden Fleece. Even in antiquity, Colchis was renowned as a region rich in gold, and excavations at Vani have confirmed this reputation. Prompted by reports of jewelry that came to the surface following heavy rainfall in the area, archaeologists in the late 1930s began to systematically explore Vani. Their excavations have uncovered a series of burials in which the deceased were laid to rest wearing a sumptuous array of ornaments, and have revealed that Vani was a major political and religious center.
The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani features an extraordinary array of objects, dating from the mid-fifth to mid-first centuries B.C. From an impressive variety of locally-made gold jewelry to imports from the Persian Empire and the Greek world, the ancient treasures in the exhibition reveal both the region’s rich material resources and a complex and fruitful network of interactions with neighboring peoples.
“This exhibition provides a wonderful opportunity to tell the story of this ancient temple city and give visitors a view into the complex interrelations of ancient cultures,” says Michael Brand, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “We are delighted to have these objects together here in Los Angeles for the very first time.”
David Lordkipanidze, director of the Georgian National Museum, adds, “We are delighted that these exquisite objects from one of Georgia’s most important archeological sites are serving as the cultural bridge between Georgian museums and American institutions such as the Getty Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. We are equally pleased to see the Getty Villa bejeweled by the magnificent Georgian treasures of Vani, providing audiences a glimpse into our country, its history, and rich culture. We hope this collaboration with the Getty Museum is only the beginning of a long lasting relationship between our institutions. ”
Although The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani, organized by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, has toured the United States and Europe, the Getty presentation includes four elaborate bronze lamps that were discovered during excavations at the site in 2007. Part of a hoard of precious bronzes, they may have been deposited during a time of crisis. The discovery of this well-preserved cache of ancient metalwork is significant for the light it sheds on the manufacture and use of bronze in ancient Colchis. Furthermore, the artistry of the lamps is difficult to parallel—for example, the careful rendering of the Indian elephant heads that serve as nozzles for an Incense Burner (250–100 B.C.), or the elaborate composition of the Lamp with Elephant Heads and Human Figures (250–100 B.C.). Two of the lamps—the Lamp with Zeus and Ganymede and Lamp with Erotes (250–100 B.C.)—have never been displayed before, and were brought to the Getty for cleaning and analysis as part of a collaborative project with Georgian archaeologists and conservators.
“This is the first time we’ve brought objects directly from an archaeological site to the Museum for treatment and conservation, which carries with it great responsibility. We have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise with our Georgian colleagues and were delighted to have Dr. Nino Kalandadze, a visiting conservator morefrom the Georgian National Museum, at the Villa for several weeks working on the lamps with our conservation team,” says Jerry Podany, the Getty Museum’s senior conservator of antiquities.
The exhibition focuses on a treasure trove of objects from five of the 28 graves that have been excavated at the site so far. They date to 450–250 B.C, when Vani was at the height of its prosperity. Among them, Grave 11 is the earliest and perhaps the richest burial. Dating to the mid-fifth century B.C., it contains four bodies laid inside a wooden structure and, outside it, a horse. Although all four bodies wore jewelry, one—a woman—was much more elaborately adorned, indicating her elite status.
The Necklace with Turtle Pendants (about 450 B.C.), a stunning example of Colchian goldwork, is one of the five necklaces discovered in this grave. The shells of the turtles are intricately decorated with granulation—the application of numerous tiny gold spheres—and are indicative of the advanced skill of Colchian goldworkers.
Another burial, Grave 24, excavated in 2004, exemplifies the cultural contacts enjoyed by the local aristocracy, for alongside another assemblage of gold jewelry and adornments are vessels imported from—or inspired by—both the Greek world and the Persian Empire. Of particular interest is the Silver Belt (350–300 B.C.) that depicts a banqueter attended by servants, testifying to the cultural importance of feasting.
The other three burials featured in the exhibition include a grave of a woman (Grave 6), which contained a striking polychrome pendant, manufactured in the Persian Empire but imported and adapted for local use at Vani; the grave of a warrior (Grave 9), whose gold ring bears an inscription in Greek, Dedatos, which may be his name; and the grave of an infant girl (Grave 4), who was adorned with gold jewelry just like her elders.
“The archaeological finds not only demonstrate the highly refined craftsmanship of local goldworkers, but also testify to contacts with both the Greek world and the Persian Empire,” says Karol Wight, the Getty Museum’s senior curator of antiquities. “Through our presentation, we hope to introduce visitors to an ancient heritage that expands our knowledge of an important civilization in this region. Many of the objects unearthed at Vani are without parallel in the ancient Mediterranean world.”
After the mid-third century B.C., evidence of rich burials ceases at the site. Most of the structures—such as altars and cult buildings—seem to have a religious or ritual function and, according to some scholars, Vani served thereafter as a sanctuary-city. Among the treasures from this period is the Torso of a Youth (200–100 B.C.), a well-proportioned bronze in a style that recalls Greek sculptures dating to 490–460 B.C., but that seems to have been made locally. It was discovered in an archaeological context that indicates it was a victim of the military destruction sustained at Vani around 50 B.C., which brought activity at the site to an abrupt end.
J. Paul Getty Museum |
LOS ANGELES, CA.- In a spectacular display of archaeological finds, The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani, on view from July 16–October 5, 2009, at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, presents more than 140 objects from one of the most celebrated archaeological sites in the Republic of Georgia, including four recently excavated bronze lamps, shown together for the first time.
Vani was an important settlement in the ancient kingdom of Colchis, a region best known as the destination of Jason and the Argonauts in their mythical quest for the Golden Fleece. Even in antiquity, Colchis was renowned as a region rich in gold, and excavations at Vani have confirmed this reputation. Prompted by reports of jewelry that came to the surface following heavy rainfall in the area, archaeologists in the late 1930s began to systematically explore Vani. Their excavations have uncovered a series of burials in which the deceased were laid to rest wearing a sumptuous array of ornaments, and have revealed that Vani was a major political and religious center.
The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani features an extraordinary array of objects, dating from the mid-fifth to mid-first centuries B.C. From an impressive variety of locally-made gold jewelry to imports from the Persian Empire and the Greek world, the ancient treasures in the exhibition reveal both the region’s rich material resources and a complex and fruitful network of interactions with neighboring peoples.
“This exhibition provides a wonderful opportunity to tell the story of this ancient temple city and give visitors a view into the complex interrelations of ancient cultures,” says Michael Brand, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “We are delighted to have these objects together here in Los Angeles for the very first time.”
David Lordkipanidze, director of the Georgian National Museum, adds, “We are delighted that these exquisite objects from one of Georgia’s most important archeological sites are serving as the cultural bridge between Georgian museums and American institutions such as the Getty Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. We are equally pleased to see the Getty Villa bejeweled by the magnificent Georgian treasures of Vani, providing audiences a glimpse into our country, its history, and rich culture. We hope this collaboration with the Getty Museum is only the beginning of a long lasting relationship between our institutions. ”
Although The Golden Graves of Ancient Vani, organized by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, has toured the United States and Europe, the Getty presentation includes four elaborate bronze lamps that were discovered during excavations at the site in 2007. Part of a hoard of precious bronzes, they may have been deposited during a time of crisis. The discovery of this well-preserved cache of ancient metalwork is significant for the light it sheds on the manufacture and use of bronze in ancient Colchis. Furthermore, the artistry of the lamps is difficult to parallel—for example, the careful rendering of the Indian elephant heads that serve as nozzles for an Incense Burner (250–100 B.C.), or the elaborate composition of the Lamp with Elephant Heads and Human Figures (250–100 B.C.). Two of the lamps—the Lamp with Zeus and Ganymede and Lamp with Erotes (250–100 B.C.)—have never been displayed before, and were brought to the Getty for cleaning and analysis as part of a collaborative project with Georgian archaeologists and conservators.
“This is the first time we’ve brought objects directly from an archaeological site to the Museum for treatment and conservation, which carries with it great responsibility. We have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise with our Georgian colleagues and were delighted to have Dr. Nino Kalandadze, a visiting conservator morefrom the Georgian National Museum, at the Villa for several weeks working on the lamps with our conservation team,” says Jerry Podany, the Getty Museum’s senior conservator of antiquities.
The exhibition focuses on a treasure trove of objects from five of the 28 graves that have been excavated at the site so far. They date to 450–250 B.C, when Vani was at the height of its prosperity. Among them, Grave 11 is the earliest and perhaps the richest burial. Dating to the mid-fifth century B.C., it contains four bodies laid inside a wooden structure and, outside it, a horse. Although all four bodies wore jewelry, one—a woman—was much more elaborately adorned, indicating her elite status.
The Necklace with Turtle Pendants (about 450 B.C.), a stunning example of Colchian goldwork, is one of the five necklaces discovered in this grave. The shells of the turtles are intricately decorated with granulation—the application of numerous tiny gold spheres—and are indicative of the advanced skill of Colchian goldworkers.
Another burial, Grave 24, excavated in 2004, exemplifies the cultural contacts enjoyed by the local aristocracy, for alongside another assemblage of gold jewelry and adornments are vessels imported from—or inspired by—both the Greek world and the Persian Empire. Of particular interest is the Silver Belt (350–300 B.C.) that depicts a banqueter attended by servants, testifying to the cultural importance of feasting.
The other three burials featured in the exhibition include a grave of a woman (Grave 6), which contained a striking polychrome pendant, manufactured in the Persian Empire but imported and adapted for local use at Vani; the grave of a warrior (Grave 9), whose gold ring bears an inscription in Greek, Dedatos, which may be his name; and the grave of an infant girl (Grave 4), who was adorned with gold jewelry just like her elders.
“The archaeological finds not only demonstrate the highly refined craftsmanship of local goldworkers, but also testify to contacts with both the Greek world and the Persian Empire,” says Karol Wight, the Getty Museum’s senior curator of antiquities. “Through our presentation, we hope to introduce visitors to an ancient heritage that expands our knowledge of an important civilization in this region. Many of the objects unearthed at Vani are without parallel in the ancient Mediterranean world.”
After the mid-third century B.C., evidence of rich burials ceases at the site. Most of the structures—such as altars and cult buildings—seem to have a religious or ritual function and, according to some scholars, Vani served thereafter as a sanctuary-city. Among the treasures from this period is the Torso of a Youth (200–100 B.C.), a well-proportioned bronze in a style that recalls Greek sculptures dating to 490–460 B.C., but that seems to have been made locally. It was discovered in an archaeological context that indicates it was a victim of the military destruction sustained at Vani around 50 B.C., which brought activity at the site to an abrupt end.
J. Paul Getty Museum |
Georgia's Saakashvili Seeking U.S. Weapons to Deter Russia
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/21/AR2009072102521.html
By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
TBILISI, Georgia, July 21 -- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili urged the United States on Tuesday to supply his country with advanced defensive weapons, warning on the eve of a visit by Vice President Biden that a decision not to provide such arms would encourage a Russian invasion.
In a wide-ranging interview, Saakashvili said that discussions about a weapons deal remained at "very early stages" but that he planned to press Biden to speed up delivery of antiaircraft and antitank systems, saying such weaponry was "purely defensive" and "would make any hotheads think twice about further military adventures."
"I think the decision to help us is there," he added, noting recent meetings between Georgian and U.S. defense officials. "It's a matter of speeding up the process. . . . We want the country to still be around when those things start to arrive here. That's ultimately what's right now at stake."
The United States has been working to train and modernize the Georgian military for more than a decade, but Russia has warned strongly against new arms shipments to the former Soviet republic, which it routed in a brief war last year.
The Kremlin says that Georgia started the war by ordering an attack on the breakaway region of South Ossetia and that new weapons would encourage further aggression by Saakashvili. In January, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the cabinet to draw up economic sanctions against countries that supply arms to Georgia.
Saakashvili's request underscores the difficult choices facing the Obama administration as it seeks to "reset" and improve relations with Russia while continuing to support Georgia, Ukraine and other countries in the former Soviet sphere where the Kremlin says it has "privileged interests."
Georgia has also suggested that the United States and other countries join the European Union's civilian monitoring mission along its border with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway enclave recognized by Russia as an independent state. U.S. participation would amount to a "long-term security guarantee," and the idea has received "positive feedback" from European and U.S. officials, Saakashvili said, but talks have been delayed.
Briefing reporters last week ahead of Biden's visit, Antony Blinken, the vice president's national security adviser, was noncommittal when asked whether Washington would refrain from supplying arms to Georgia in an attempt to reduce tensions in the region. "We are working with Georgia with defense reform and defense modernization," he said. "Our focus is on doctrine, on education and on training, and preparing for Georgia's future deployments to Afghanistan."
In recent years, the Pentagon has tried to improve the Georgian army's command-and-control systems and trained Georgian troops for peacekeeping and police operations in Iraq. But Saakashvili said the focus of U.S.-Georgian military cooperation has now shifted to "homeland defense."
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He said he was "realistic" about the impact any new weapons would have on Georgia's ability to fend off Russia's much larger army for very long. But he argued that a stronger military deterrent would "strengthen our political hand" and help prevent a new conflict.
A decision by the United States and its NATO allies not to supply Georgia with defensive arms, on the other hand, would be seen as weakness, he said. "I think that would be the surest sign for the Russians: 'Go and get them,' " he said.
Saakashvili argued that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin may be tempted to start another war because he faces "a pretty desperate situation," with the Russian economy in crisis, his domestic political standing in question and former Soviet republics increasingly ignoring Moscow's wishes. "There are hundreds of reasons to attack Georgia," Saakashvili said. "The only thing to stop him is a clear unequivocal message from the West that there's going to be very grave consequences."
Saakashvili said President Obama exceeded his expectations by forcefully defending Georgia's sovereignty during a recent visit to Moscow. He also said he has detected no "reluctance or hesitation" about providing Georgia with weapons.
Still, he said, "It's a much slower process than we would like it to be. It's just a matter of: Are we a regular country in a regular situation that can wait many years . . . or can we make it faster and more efficient?"
Saakashvili said the decision could affect the entire region, because other nations might give in to Russia's imperial ambitions if Georgia fell. "I think Biden gets it," he said, noting that Biden visited after the war and spoke about upgrading Georgia's defensive capabilities. "We hope he's still the old Biden."
By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
TBILISI, Georgia, July 21 -- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili urged the United States on Tuesday to supply his country with advanced defensive weapons, warning on the eve of a visit by Vice President Biden that a decision not to provide such arms would encourage a Russian invasion.
In a wide-ranging interview, Saakashvili said that discussions about a weapons deal remained at "very early stages" but that he planned to press Biden to speed up delivery of antiaircraft and antitank systems, saying such weaponry was "purely defensive" and "would make any hotheads think twice about further military adventures."
"I think the decision to help us is there," he added, noting recent meetings between Georgian and U.S. defense officials. "It's a matter of speeding up the process. . . . We want the country to still be around when those things start to arrive here. That's ultimately what's right now at stake."
The United States has been working to train and modernize the Georgian military for more than a decade, but Russia has warned strongly against new arms shipments to the former Soviet republic, which it routed in a brief war last year.
The Kremlin says that Georgia started the war by ordering an attack on the breakaway region of South Ossetia and that new weapons would encourage further aggression by Saakashvili. In January, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the cabinet to draw up economic sanctions against countries that supply arms to Georgia.
Saakashvili's request underscores the difficult choices facing the Obama administration as it seeks to "reset" and improve relations with Russia while continuing to support Georgia, Ukraine and other countries in the former Soviet sphere where the Kremlin says it has "privileged interests."
Georgia has also suggested that the United States and other countries join the European Union's civilian monitoring mission along its border with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway enclave recognized by Russia as an independent state. U.S. participation would amount to a "long-term security guarantee," and the idea has received "positive feedback" from European and U.S. officials, Saakashvili said, but talks have been delayed.
Briefing reporters last week ahead of Biden's visit, Antony Blinken, the vice president's national security adviser, was noncommittal when asked whether Washington would refrain from supplying arms to Georgia in an attempt to reduce tensions in the region. "We are working with Georgia with defense reform and defense modernization," he said. "Our focus is on doctrine, on education and on training, and preparing for Georgia's future deployments to Afghanistan."
In recent years, the Pentagon has tried to improve the Georgian army's command-and-control systems and trained Georgian troops for peacekeeping and police operations in Iraq. But Saakashvili said the focus of U.S.-Georgian military cooperation has now shifted to "homeland defense."
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He said he was "realistic" about the impact any new weapons would have on Georgia's ability to fend off Russia's much larger army for very long. But he argued that a stronger military deterrent would "strengthen our political hand" and help prevent a new conflict.
A decision by the United States and its NATO allies not to supply Georgia with defensive arms, on the other hand, would be seen as weakness, he said. "I think that would be the surest sign for the Russians: 'Go and get them,' " he said.
Saakashvili argued that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin may be tempted to start another war because he faces "a pretty desperate situation," with the Russian economy in crisis, his domestic political standing in question and former Soviet republics increasingly ignoring Moscow's wishes. "There are hundreds of reasons to attack Georgia," Saakashvili said. "The only thing to stop him is a clear unequivocal message from the West that there's going to be very grave consequences."
Saakashvili said President Obama exceeded his expectations by forcefully defending Georgia's sovereignty during a recent visit to Moscow. He also said he has detected no "reluctance or hesitation" about providing Georgia with weapons.
Still, he said, "It's a much slower process than we would like it to be. It's just a matter of: Are we a regular country in a regular situation that can wait many years . . . or can we make it faster and more efficient?"
Saakashvili said the decision could affect the entire region, because other nations might give in to Russia's imperial ambitions if Georgia fell. "I think Biden gets it," he said, noting that Biden visited after the war and spoke about upgrading Georgia's defensive capabilities. "We hope he's still the old Biden."
Georgia Wants U.S. to Monitor Conflict
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/world/europe/21georgia.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
KIEV, Ukraine — Georgian leaders hope the United States will join the European Union’s monitoring effort along the boundary with two breakaway Georgian enclaves, a step they believe could deter aggression from Russian or separatist forces, a senior Georgian official said Monday.
The European Union’s 246 monitors in Georgia are unarmed civilians and are not allowed into the enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Russian forces wrested from Georgian control in a short war a year ago. Still, the official, Eka Tkeshelashvili, the secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council, said broadening the monitoring mission to include the United States and other nonunion members would make it “politically very costly to Russia to do anything on the ground.”
“It has the potential for reaching a very tangible impact,” she said. “It’s always very hard to think what are the red lines that ultimately Russia might respect, because we saw last year that it passed most of the red lines that we could have imagined.”
The European Union’s members are having an “informal discussion” about whether to invite the United States to participate, a requirement for any such expansion, said Peter Semneby, the union’s special representative for the South Caucasus. He said the European Union has “taken note of the interest on the Georgian side,” but the decision is not yet formally on any agenda.
The question will almost certainly come up this week, when Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is scheduled to meet with leaders in Ukraine and Georgia. His visit, after President Obama’s meeting with the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, in Moscow, is aimed at reassuring the countries that American support will remain despite an improvement in Russian relations.
Mr. Biden’s reaction to the monitoring proposal will offer one clue to how far that support extends: Participating would assert Washington’s concern over Georgia’s breakaway territories. It would also challenge Russia, which wants the United States to scale back its involvement in post-Soviet republics.
Mr. Biden intends to make it clear on this trip that the United States will not abandon its allies in deference to Russia, said one of his senior advisers.
“We will continue to reject the notion of spheres of influence,” Antony J. Blinken, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser, said in a conference call with reporters last week. “We will continue to stand by the principle that sovereign democracies have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own partnerships and alliances.”
At the same time, said one American official who was not authorized to speak publicly, “there will also be some tough love in both places.”
The official said Mr. Biden would press both countries to address their failings — mostly economic ones in Ukraine and political ones in Georgia — and also make clear to Georgian leaders that they should have no illusions about using force to reclaim South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Every note Mr. Biden strikes will be analyzed “very, very carefully” in Moscow, said Andronik Migranyan, an analyst in New York at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation, a Kremlin-backed research group. Leaders in the Kremlin were impressed by Mr. Obama but consider Mr. Biden’s visit to Kiev and Tbilisi, Georgia, a truer indicator of American intentions, he said.
Mr. Biden could send the message that “sovereignty is equal to anti-Russian policy and anti-Russian sentiment, which means nullifying the results of the Obama and Medvedev and Putin summit,” he said, referring to the Russian prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin. Alternately, he said, Mr. Biden could give a different message: “We ask you to be more responsible in your behavior, not to be hostile toward Russia.”
“In this case,” Mr. Migranyan said, “Moscow can really think that Obama took Russia’s concerns seriously.”
A decision about joining the monitoring mission leaves little room for compromise. For more than 16 years, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations operated missions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia; Americans participated in both. This year, both were shut down under pressure from Moscow, which argued that the organizations needed to either recognize the enclaves’ sovereignty or leave.
That leaves only the European Union’s mission — civilians who work out of field offices near the edges of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. America’s contribution could be personnel, upgraded equipment or technical assistance like access to satellite images, Ms. Tkeshelashvili said.
David J. Kramer, who was a senior diplomat in the administration of President George W. Bush, said American participation would reinforce powerfully the need for stability along the enclaves’ boundaries. Already, simply by visiting Ukraine and Georgia, he added, Mr. Biden is making it clear that the United States will still respond to post-Soviet countries reaching out.
“This is not a case of the United States forcing its way into regions where it’s not wanted — Georgia wants us there,” said Mr. Kramer, who is also a senior trans-Atlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund, a nonpartisan policy group that studies the relationship between the United States and Europe. “We’re never going to compete with Russia in terms of proximity, and we shouldn’t even try. But these are countries that want closer relations with the United States.”
KIEV, Ukraine — Georgian leaders hope the United States will join the European Union’s monitoring effort along the boundary with two breakaway Georgian enclaves, a step they believe could deter aggression from Russian or separatist forces, a senior Georgian official said Monday.
The European Union’s 246 monitors in Georgia are unarmed civilians and are not allowed into the enclaves, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Russian forces wrested from Georgian control in a short war a year ago. Still, the official, Eka Tkeshelashvili, the secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council, said broadening the monitoring mission to include the United States and other nonunion members would make it “politically very costly to Russia to do anything on the ground.”
“It has the potential for reaching a very tangible impact,” she said. “It’s always very hard to think what are the red lines that ultimately Russia might respect, because we saw last year that it passed most of the red lines that we could have imagined.”
The European Union’s members are having an “informal discussion” about whether to invite the United States to participate, a requirement for any such expansion, said Peter Semneby, the union’s special representative for the South Caucasus. He said the European Union has “taken note of the interest on the Georgian side,” but the decision is not yet formally on any agenda.
The question will almost certainly come up this week, when Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is scheduled to meet with leaders in Ukraine and Georgia. His visit, after President Obama’s meeting with the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, in Moscow, is aimed at reassuring the countries that American support will remain despite an improvement in Russian relations.
Mr. Biden’s reaction to the monitoring proposal will offer one clue to how far that support extends: Participating would assert Washington’s concern over Georgia’s breakaway territories. It would also challenge Russia, which wants the United States to scale back its involvement in post-Soviet republics.
Mr. Biden intends to make it clear on this trip that the United States will not abandon its allies in deference to Russia, said one of his senior advisers.
“We will continue to reject the notion of spheres of influence,” Antony J. Blinken, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser, said in a conference call with reporters last week. “We will continue to stand by the principle that sovereign democracies have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own partnerships and alliances.”
At the same time, said one American official who was not authorized to speak publicly, “there will also be some tough love in both places.”
The official said Mr. Biden would press both countries to address their failings — mostly economic ones in Ukraine and political ones in Georgia — and also make clear to Georgian leaders that they should have no illusions about using force to reclaim South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Every note Mr. Biden strikes will be analyzed “very, very carefully” in Moscow, said Andronik Migranyan, an analyst in New York at the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation, a Kremlin-backed research group. Leaders in the Kremlin were impressed by Mr. Obama but consider Mr. Biden’s visit to Kiev and Tbilisi, Georgia, a truer indicator of American intentions, he said.
Mr. Biden could send the message that “sovereignty is equal to anti-Russian policy and anti-Russian sentiment, which means nullifying the results of the Obama and Medvedev and Putin summit,” he said, referring to the Russian prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin. Alternately, he said, Mr. Biden could give a different message: “We ask you to be more responsible in your behavior, not to be hostile toward Russia.”
“In this case,” Mr. Migranyan said, “Moscow can really think that Obama took Russia’s concerns seriously.”
A decision about joining the monitoring mission leaves little room for compromise. For more than 16 years, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the United Nations operated missions in South Ossetia and Abkhazia; Americans participated in both. This year, both were shut down under pressure from Moscow, which argued that the organizations needed to either recognize the enclaves’ sovereignty or leave.
That leaves only the European Union’s mission — civilians who work out of field offices near the edges of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. America’s contribution could be personnel, upgraded equipment or technical assistance like access to satellite images, Ms. Tkeshelashvili said.
David J. Kramer, who was a senior diplomat in the administration of President George W. Bush, said American participation would reinforce powerfully the need for stability along the enclaves’ boundaries. Already, simply by visiting Ukraine and Georgia, he added, Mr. Biden is making it clear that the United States will still respond to post-Soviet countries reaching out.
“This is not a case of the United States forcing its way into regions where it’s not wanted — Georgia wants us there,” said Mr. Kramer, who is also a senior trans-Atlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund, a nonpartisan policy group that studies the relationship between the United States and Europe. “We’re never going to compete with Russia in terms of proximity, and we shouldn’t even try. But these are countries that want closer relations with the United States.”
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Obama Says State Sovereignty Must be Respected
http://www.geotimes.ge/index.php?m=home&newsid=17253
In a keynote speech on the second day of his visit to Moscow, U.S. President Barack Obama, among other issues, also spoke about the state sovereignty as a “cornerstone of international order” and mentioned Georgia and Ukraine in this context.
“Just as all states should have the right to choose their leaders, states must have the right to borders that are secure, and to their own foreign policies. That is true for Russia, just as it is true for the United States. Any system that cedes those rights will lead to anarchy. That is why this principle must apply to all nations and that includes nations like Georgia and Ukraine,” the U.S. President said.
In his speech at Moscow’s New Economic School on July 7, he also said: “In 2009, the great power does not show strength by dominating or demonizing other countries. The days when empires could treat other sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over.”
President Obama also touched NATO saying that the United States would “never impose a security arrangement on another country” and added that the Alliance should seek “collaboration with Russia, not confrontation.”
“For any country to become a member of NATO, a majority of its people must choose to; they must undertake reforms; and they must be able to contribute to the Alliance’s mission,” he said.
In a keynote speech on the second day of his visit to Moscow, U.S. President Barack Obama, among other issues, also spoke about the state sovereignty as a “cornerstone of international order” and mentioned Georgia and Ukraine in this context.
“Just as all states should have the right to choose their leaders, states must have the right to borders that are secure, and to their own foreign policies. That is true for Russia, just as it is true for the United States. Any system that cedes those rights will lead to anarchy. That is why this principle must apply to all nations and that includes nations like Georgia and Ukraine,” the U.S. President said.
In his speech at Moscow’s New Economic School on July 7, he also said: “In 2009, the great power does not show strength by dominating or demonizing other countries. The days when empires could treat other sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over.”
President Obama also touched NATO saying that the United States would “never impose a security arrangement on another country” and added that the Alliance should seek “collaboration with Russia, not confrontation.”
“For any country to become a member of NATO, a majority of its people must choose to; they must undertake reforms; and they must be able to contribute to the Alliance’s mission,” he said.
Georgian future depends on Russia and the U.S.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20090707/155460808.html
07/07/2009
MOSCOW. (Gocha Dzasokhov, president of the Georgian Peoples Assembly, for RIA Novosti) - Georgia depends on Russian-U.S. relations more than any other country. In fact, it has become a hostage to these relations, and I pray to God that the leaders of Russia and the United States do not discard Georgia as surplus baggage when discussing their relations for the years ahead.
The great powers should find common language at long last, and turn the Caucasus into a peaceful region and an attractive example of a positive synthesis of multilateral interests.
At present, the situation in Georgia is distorted, with efforts directed at saving the bankrupt authorities rather than helping the people.
All ethnic groups in Georgia want above all certainty; they want someone to hear the voice they raised in protest four months ago. They want Georgia to have a definite future based on a peaceful policy and the country's integration as a modern society.
Both God and History have made the partnership of the great powers responsible for Georgia, and the long-suffering Georgian people expect them to justify their trust.
If I had a chance to ask the U.S. President a question, I would first remind Mr. Obama of the words of John F. Kennedy, to whom he is often compared, about "a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved."
Is it fair that Georgia's policy is determined without taking into account the opinion and interests of the people who live there?
When discussing the Georgian problem, the presidents of Russia and the U.S. are bound to touch upon the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia's independence. We would like them to respect the opinion of the Georgian Peoples Assembly, which believes that the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has greatly raised the level of expectations for the Russian political elite.
It is highly important now to find an optimal balance between the security of the new Caucasian states and a political structure that would suit all those in the region.
Also, Russia will eventually have to address this challenging problem because Georgia will never resign itself to the loss of its territory, and will mount political, diplomatic, and possibly military pressure through third countries. We must be prepared for this.
Reconciliation will take years of hard work, because we will need to change the mentality of the people which will be a titanic task.
The program of reconciliation should be drafted by the people and public organizations of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Georgian Peoples Assembly is conducting and will continue to conduct conferences and consultations on this issue, after which we will need a referendum. Democracy is the authority of sovereign citizens. Power must be vested with the citizens, and not a group of politicians.
In the case of a positive outcome of a referendum, we would proceed to the next stage of reconciliation. It would provide for economic interaction, joint projects in different economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, trade, transportation, and tourism that would benefit all participants, and would also imply the creation of common customs and currency space.
The Georgian Peoples Assembly believes that the reconciliation process can start on two conditions: if the regime that launched the aggression and fratricide in August 2008 is replaced, and if Georgia's aggressive foreign policy is changed to a neutral attitude toward its neighbors based on the principles of friendship.
07/07/2009
MOSCOW. (Gocha Dzasokhov, president of the Georgian Peoples Assembly, for RIA Novosti) - Georgia depends on Russian-U.S. relations more than any other country. In fact, it has become a hostage to these relations, and I pray to God that the leaders of Russia and the United States do not discard Georgia as surplus baggage when discussing their relations for the years ahead.
The great powers should find common language at long last, and turn the Caucasus into a peaceful region and an attractive example of a positive synthesis of multilateral interests.
At present, the situation in Georgia is distorted, with efforts directed at saving the bankrupt authorities rather than helping the people.
All ethnic groups in Georgia want above all certainty; they want someone to hear the voice they raised in protest four months ago. They want Georgia to have a definite future based on a peaceful policy and the country's integration as a modern society.
Both God and History have made the partnership of the great powers responsible for Georgia, and the long-suffering Georgian people expect them to justify their trust.
If I had a chance to ask the U.S. President a question, I would first remind Mr. Obama of the words of John F. Kennedy, to whom he is often compared, about "a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved."
Is it fair that Georgia's policy is determined without taking into account the opinion and interests of the people who live there?
When discussing the Georgian problem, the presidents of Russia and the U.S. are bound to touch upon the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia's independence. We would like them to respect the opinion of the Georgian Peoples Assembly, which believes that the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has greatly raised the level of expectations for the Russian political elite.
It is highly important now to find an optimal balance between the security of the new Caucasian states and a political structure that would suit all those in the region.
Also, Russia will eventually have to address this challenging problem because Georgia will never resign itself to the loss of its territory, and will mount political, diplomatic, and possibly military pressure through third countries. We must be prepared for this.
Reconciliation will take years of hard work, because we will need to change the mentality of the people which will be a titanic task.
The program of reconciliation should be drafted by the people and public organizations of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Georgian Peoples Assembly is conducting and will continue to conduct conferences and consultations on this issue, after which we will need a referendum. Democracy is the authority of sovereign citizens. Power must be vested with the citizens, and not a group of politicians.
In the case of a positive outcome of a referendum, we would proceed to the next stage of reconciliation. It would provide for economic interaction, joint projects in different economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, trade, transportation, and tourism that would benefit all participants, and would also imply the creation of common customs and currency space.
The Georgian Peoples Assembly believes that the reconciliation process can start on two conditions: if the regime that launched the aggression and fratricide in August 2008 is replaced, and if Georgia's aggressive foreign policy is changed to a neutral attitude toward its neighbors based on the principles of friendship.
August war complicated Georgian relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia: opposition leader
http://news-en.trend.az/important/exclusive/1500397.html
Georgia, Tbilisi, July 6/ Trend News N. Kirtzkhalia/
Unwise steps by the Georgian authorities, involving Georgia to war with Russia in August 2008, evolved new problems in the relations with other neighbors, the leader of the Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasaniya told Trend News.
This war led to definite overestimations in region, Alasaniya stated.
Large-scale military operations broke out in the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia in the night of Aug.8. Georgian troops entered Tzkhinvali. Later Russian troops entered the city and drove Georgian military back. At the end of August, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In response, Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and declared the unrecognized republics occupied territories.
Alasania said some problems also appeared in relations with Armenia, because Georgia is facing a danger of separatist movement by the densely populated large national communities.
"Of course, neither official Baku, nor Yerevan will favor separatist trends. But Russian special service organizations will work actively here and it is necessary to observe attentively these developments in regions, especially in Samtzkhe-Javakheti populated by Armenians."
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at: trend@trend.az
Georgia, Tbilisi, July 6/ Trend News N. Kirtzkhalia/
Unwise steps by the Georgian authorities, involving Georgia to war with Russia in August 2008, evolved new problems in the relations with other neighbors, the leader of the Alliance for Georgia Irakli Alasaniya told Trend News.
This war led to definite overestimations in region, Alasaniya stated.
Large-scale military operations broke out in the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia in the night of Aug.8. Georgian troops entered Tzkhinvali. Later Russian troops entered the city and drove Georgian military back. At the end of August, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In response, Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and declared the unrecognized republics occupied territories.
Alasania said some problems also appeared in relations with Armenia, because Georgia is facing a danger of separatist movement by the densely populated large national communities.
"Of course, neither official Baku, nor Yerevan will favor separatist trends. But Russian special service organizations will work actively here and it is necessary to observe attentively these developments in regions, especially in Samtzkhe-Javakheti populated by Armenians."
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at: trend@trend.az
South Ossetians ask Obama to help find missing relatives
07/07/2009
Multimedia
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090707/155460872.html
MOSCOW, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - A group of South Ossetian women have sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama asking him to help find their children, who they say were abducted by Georgian agents, an official said on Tuesday.
Authorities in the former Georgian republic say 13 South Ossetians have been abducted by Georgian special services since August 8, 2008, when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in a bid to bring it back under central control.
"The letter was written ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow by 10 mothers and relatives of those who are currently being held illegally on Georgian territory," South Ossetia's human rights ombudsman, David Sanakoyev, told RIA Novosti.
He added that Georgia has officially declared seven of them missing.
"However, we have obtained a videotape that shows four of these seven being interrogated by Georgian special services," Sanakoyev said.
The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on the letter
Two weeks after the end of a five-day war with Georgia over South Ossetia last August, Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic, as independent states.
South Ossetia says over 1,500 people were killed during the Georgian assault, but the Investigation Committee at the Russian Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed the deaths of 162 South Ossetians and 48 Russian soldiers, including 10 peacekeepers who were stationed in the republic before Georgia's invasion.
Multimedia
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090707/155460872.html
MOSCOW, July 7 (RIA Novosti) - A group of South Ossetian women have sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama asking him to help find their children, who they say were abducted by Georgian agents, an official said on Tuesday.
Authorities in the former Georgian republic say 13 South Ossetians have been abducted by Georgian special services since August 8, 2008, when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in a bid to bring it back under central control.
"The letter was written ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow by 10 mothers and relatives of those who are currently being held illegally on Georgian territory," South Ossetia's human rights ombudsman, David Sanakoyev, told RIA Novosti.
He added that Georgia has officially declared seven of them missing.
"However, we have obtained a videotape that shows four of these seven being interrogated by Georgian special services," Sanakoyev said.
The U.S. Embassy declined to comment on the letter
Two weeks after the end of a five-day war with Georgia over South Ossetia last August, Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic, as independent states.
South Ossetia says over 1,500 people were killed during the Georgian assault, but the Investigation Committee at the Russian Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed the deaths of 162 South Ossetians and 48 Russian soldiers, including 10 peacekeepers who were stationed in the republic before Georgia's invasion.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Russian deserter Glukhov granted refugee status in Georgia
http://en.rian.ru/world/20090630/155393461.html
TBILISI, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian soldier who deserted his unit in South Ossetia in late January and requested asylum in Georgia has been granted refugee status, the Georgian Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
At the end of April, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office filed an extradition request for Jr. Sgt. Alexander Glukhov. However, Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Shota Utiashvili said Tbilisi would not hand him over to Russia until his asylum request had been considered.
"Glukhov received the status of a refugee in Georgia a few days ago. Moreover, he has already started working," the ministry said.
Glukhov's relatives said a month ago he had received refugee status, but there had until now been no official confirmation.
The Russian Defense Ministry initially said Glukhov had been seized by Georgian special services and forcibly taken to Tbilisi. However, Glukhov denied the claims, saying he fled due to the intolerable conditions in his unit.
TBILISI, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian soldier who deserted his unit in South Ossetia in late January and requested asylum in Georgia has been granted refugee status, the Georgian Interior Ministry said Tuesday.
At the end of April, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office filed an extradition request for Jr. Sgt. Alexander Glukhov. However, Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Shota Utiashvili said Tbilisi would not hand him over to Russia until his asylum request had been considered.
"Glukhov received the status of a refugee in Georgia a few days ago. Moreover, he has already started working," the ministry said.
Glukhov's relatives said a month ago he had received refugee status, but there had until now been no official confirmation.
The Russian Defense Ministry initially said Glukhov had been seized by Georgian special services and forcibly taken to Tbilisi. However, Glukhov denied the claims, saying he fled due to the intolerable conditions in his unit.
Georgia: Monitors of Truce With Russia Withdraw
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