Putin Signs Law on Ratification of Russian-Abkhazian Military Agreement
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a Federal Law on the ratification of the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Georgia’s Occupied Region Abkhazia on a Joint Group of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the so called Republic of Abkhazia.
The agreement on combined forces includes a Russian military base in occupied Abkhazia, two motor rifle battalions, artillery and aviation groups, and a special-purpose detachment.
The mutual agreement was signed in Moscow on November 21, 2015, and was ratified by Russia’s State Duma early this month.
According to the agreement, the organization and conduct of joint activities will be carried out on the basis of joint guidelines of the general staffs of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and Abkhazia.
In case of a potential threat or wartime, troops in the united group answer directly to the commander of the joint group, appointed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The Moscow Times reports that financing the costs of bringing the new unit up to Russian standards falls on Moscow.
“The agreement was concluded for a period of ten years, with the possibility of automatic renewal for successive five-year periods,” an article of the Moscow Times reads.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA) commented on the fact, saying this is not only occupation, but more – annexation.
“These kinds of provocative steps by the Russian Federation serve the purpose of ultimate annexation of the occupied regions of Georgia, which is a complete disregard of the fundamental principles and norms of international law and undermines the established international order,” Georgia’s MFA reports.
The Ministry urged the Russian Federation to honor the undertaken obligations and fully comply with the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, withdraw its military units from the occupied territories of Georgia and ensure the establishment of international security arrangements in Georgia’s Occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.
The Georgian side also called on the international community to give a proper assessment of the aggressive moves of the Russian Federation and take effective measures to avoid further aggravation of the security situation in the region.
Russia’s actions towards Georgia’s occupied territories were condemned by the United States (US). The US Department of State issued a statement on November 22.
“The United States strongly opposes the Russian Federation’s ratification of an agreement secured with the de facto leaders in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia regarding a joint military force. We do not recognize the legitimacy of this so-called “treaty,” which does not constitute a valid international agreement,” the statement of the US State Department reads.
Moreover, the statement says that the US considers Georgia’s breakaway Regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia as integral parts of Georgia, underlining that the US supports Georgia’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The US Department of State calls on Russia to fulfill all of its commitments under the 2008 ceasefire agreement, withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, reverse its recognition of the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, and provide free access for humanitarian assistance to both regions.
Thea Morrison