U.S. Helsinki Commission calls on Russia to withdraw troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia

U.S. Helsinki Commission calls on Russia to withdraw troops from Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Georgia , Tbilisi, Aug.11 / Trend, N. Kirtskhalia /

The U.S. Helsinki Commission called on Russia to withdraw all its troops from the occupied Georgian territories entirely. As the U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman, Senator Chris Smith said, Russia must "cease the illegal occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia."

"Russia must withdraw its troops and allow Georgian refugees and internally displaced persons to return to their homes ", Senator Smith told"Voice of America."

Senator Ben Cardin further said that Russia should remove its ban and allow the OSCE Mission to work in conflict zones in Georgia.

Military actions were launched in the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia in August 2008. Georgian troops entered Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. Later Russian troops occupied the city, driving the Georgian military back to Georgia. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on Aug. 26, and established diplomatic relations with the regions on Sept. 9, 2008.

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Increased economic contact between Russia, Georgia

Thu 11 August 2011 06:35 GMT | 8:35 Local Time

Russian investments are increasing in Georgia, despite the hostile rhetoric from the countries' leaders and lack of diplomatic relations.

Advocacy organization the International Crisis Group pulled together facts and figures on cooperation in its report “Georgia-Russia: Starting Near Zero”, released on 8 August to coincide with the third anniversary of the start of the Russo-Georgian war.

The report noted the steady increase of Russian investment in Georgia.

"Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Georgia fell by 16 per cent in 2010 compared to 2009, due to the war and the global economic slowdown. Russian companies, however, increased their investments, concentrating on energy, the financial sector, chemicals, mining, food industries and telecommunications and putting in $51 million, approximately 9 per cent of the total. Even though this is small change for Russia and far from the pre-war 2007 peak of $89 million, it was a five-fold jump from 2009 ($10 million)."

Even though relations remain strained between President Mikheil Saakashvili and the Russian president and prime minister, trade is encouraged.

The International Crisis Group report noted: "Even in the currently difficult political situation, President Saakashvili insists: 'We’re not going to hinder Russian companies from coming to Georgia …. The more business interest we get, the less political pressure there will be.'"

Critics are concerned that Russian businesses in Georgia are linked to Russian state-owned companies and that Moscow is expanding its influence in the region, the report continues.

"JSC-Telasi, which operates Tbilisi’s power grid, is 75 per cent held by the huge Russian state-controlled utility firm, Inter RAO UES. Service was not interrupted during the war," it notes.

"The two governments also continue to make energy deals. In January 2009, Inter-RАО UES and the Georgian government
agreed to jointly operate the Inguri hydroelectric power station (most of which is in Abkhazia)... Inter RAO owns two hydropower plants in Georgia (Khramhesi-1 and Khramhesi-2) and plans to build three more for $193 million by 2016. Georgia now gets most of its electricity from hydro power and is a net electricity exporter, including to Russia."

Transport is another area where ties are growing.

"Russia and Georgia have already also proven they can cooperate on practical transport issues. Direct air service between Moscow and Tbilisi was relaunched in 2010 after a two-year hiatus, when the Georgian United Transport Administration
and the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency gave permission to Russian carrier S7 and Georgian Airways to fly between the two countries. Charter flights between Moscow and Batumi and Kutaisi (Georgia) also exist. Such steps may appear minor, but they have an intangible value in helping to chip away at the sense of mutual estrangement of ordinary citizens, if not their
respective leaderships. Transport links help foster increased trade, which can inevitably lead to more contact between
people and governments."

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Outcome of the ROK-Russia Foreign Minister’s Meeting

Korea IT Times (info@koreaittimes.com)

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov held a meeting in Moscow, Russia, in the morning of August 8, for an in-depth consultation on issues facilitating summit diplomacy and high-level personnel exchange, expansion of substantive cooperation, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and ways to cooperate on the international stage.

The two Ministers shared the view that relations between Korea and Russia have steadily developed in various areas including politics, economy, and culture, befitting their Strategic Cooperative Partnership. In addition, they noted that increased exchange between the two nations' leaders of late, as demonstrated by the reciprocal visits by President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev to each other's country in 2010, the 20th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, have brought the bilateral relations to a new level, resulting in an agreement to make effort to hold a summit on a regular basis.

Minister Kim and Lavrov welcomed the continuous increases in trade and investment between the two countries, citing the projection that bilateral trade is expected to grow by more than 30% compared to the same quarter in the prior year to reach more than USD 20 billion. They agreed to strengthen substantive cooperation in far eastern Siberia and make continued effort to expand cooperation in areas where Russia is highly interested for modernizing its economy, including energy efficiency, IT, medical technology and devices.

The two Ministers assessed the current situations concerning North Korea and its nuclear issue following the inter-Korean dialogue on denuclearization and US-North Korea talks in New York, and exchanged views on future responses. The Korean side explained the need to create conditions conducive to the resumption of the Six-party Talks through various bilateral and multilateral contacts beginning with inter-Korean talks, as well as its intention to maintain the inter-Korean dialogue in this context.

In addition, Korea called for Russia's continued effort and role on the issues to induce North Korea to take concrete actions in show of its commitment to denuclearization. The Russian side welcomed the recent resumptions of talks with North Korea and said that it had been making effort to create conditions favorable to the resumption of the Six-party Talks. On the shared position that future Six-party Talks should be held in a more substantive and productive manner, both sides agreed to continue close cooperation.

Russia explained the details of its consultation with North Korea on the construction of a gas pipeline passing through North Korea to supply its gas to South Korea. Minister Kim appreciated such effort and agreed to hold close consultations with Russia in this regard.    

Korea and Russia, as Strategic Cooperative Partners, agreed to strengthen consultations on major global issues and to continue their cooperation for successful hosting of major international events held in the two countries, such as the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul and the APEC Russia 2012 summit in Vladivostok.

source: MOFAT