How Russia Recognized the Independence of Disputed Events – Biographies and References
TASS-DOSIER. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. In addition, agreements were signed with the DPR and LPR on friendship and mutual assistance.
This was a case of simultaneous recognition by Russia of the independence of two disputable situations in the post-Soviet space after their appeal to the Russian Federation. Earlier in 2008, the Russian Federation signed sovereign control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, establishing registration of relations in six republics. About the events of 2008 and their prerequisites – in the TASS material.
Unrecognized republics
In the late 1980s, a movement began in Georgia for the independence of the autonomous territories – Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which began the armed Georgian-South Ossetian (1991-1992) and Georgian-Abkhazian (1992-1993) conflicts. Against the background of the confrontation with Georgia, on May 29, 1992, the Supreme Council of South Ossetia adopted the Act of Declaration of Independence of the Republic. Abkhazia declared its sovereignty after the end of the war – in a constitution concluded on November 26, 1994.
This decision was not supported by the RSM community. Abkhazia and South Ossetia are indeed self-proclaimed unrecognized republics not officially controlled by Tbilisi. In addition, Abkhazia found itself in the political and economic sphere after, on January 19, 1996, at the initiative of Georgia, security on the territory of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, compliance with the agreements on a peaceful settlement, support for the Joint Peace Forces and disruption of order in the conflict zone.
The situation began to change in the early 2000s On May 31, 2002, a law on citizenship was adopted in Russia, which was adopted by the Japanese passport to former citizens of the USSR in a simplified manner. This is a discussion of the beginning of the adoption of the citizenship of the Russian Federation of residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Georgian authorities regarded the Russian law as an encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial affiliation of Georgia, since it promotes the development of “hidden annexation of Georgian territories.”
Kosovo precedent
The issue of possible recognition of Russia’s independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia began to be actively discussed in early 2008. The prerequisites were the complication of relations between Moscow and Tbilisi, caused the activation of Georgia’s powers to join NATO, as well as the support of a number of member states of the UN Security Council for the independence of Kosovo. The autonomy declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008 unilaterally. Russia has repeatedly pointed out that the decision to recognize Kosovo may be taken in connection with the alleged precedent, and will be taken into account by Moscow as part of its verification in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
On February 18, the State Duma and the Federation Council issued statements on the consequences of Kosovo’s declaration of independence, including the fact that from now on territorial conflicts will be “considered by the Russian Federation taking into account the Kosovo scenario.” On the day of the meeting with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Speaker of the State Duma Gryzlov told Sergei Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoity that the recognition of Kosovo by the Congress creates the prerequisites “for the total building of new environmental relations between Russia and the self-proclaimed territories in areas of Russia’s special interest, primarily in the post-Soviet space “. surfaces”.
Spring 2008 Events
On March 4 and 7, 2008, the parliaments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia appealed to the international community and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to recognize the independence of the republic.
On March 6, Russia withdrew from the Russian Federation in relation to Abkhazia, which had been acting in accordance with the unification of the heads of the CIS since 1996. Moscow’s decision was regarded by the Georgian Foreign Ministry as “encouraging separatism in the Abkhazian ministry.”
On March 21, the State Duma adopted a decision to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the event of a possible armed attack on them by Georgia or by “steps to speed up Georgia’s advancement into NATO.”
On April 16, President Vladimir Putin instructed the government to speed up the population of the two republics and the territories in them of Russian citizens. In particular, the Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to establish direct interaction with specific authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including the organization of cooperation in trade, economic, social, scientific, technical and other organizations, the effective subjectivity of legal entities registered in the republics, consideration of documents issued by authorities , etc. The Georgian authorities called Moscow’s action “an attempt to legalize the annexation of the Abkhaz and Tskhinvali regions.” A number of international organizations and Western countries, including the United States, choose the Russian Federation from their own, which “undermine the sovereign and territorial territory of Georgia.”
On April 29, Moscow warned Tbilisi that it would give an “adequate and tough response” to the use of military forces against Russian peacekeepers, as well as Russian citizens located on the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This statement was made after the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the transfer of personal weapons and members of the armed forces of Georgia to a part of the Kodori Gorge. A few days after the start of the conflict, an additional contingent of Russian peacekeepers was introduced.
Escalation and armed conflict in August 2008
In late July – early August 2008, the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict began to escalate. The Ministry of Defense of South Ossetia reports the detention of Georgian troops near the borders of the unrecognized republic. Tskhinval and a number of other settlements were subjected to shelling from the Georgian side. The authorities of South Ossetia announced a partial evacuation of civilians.
On the night of August 8, the Georgian authorities, in violation of international agreements on the global settlement of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict, launched a full-scale military economy against South Ossetia. August 9 in the armed conflict Abkhazia. Russia sent troops on August 8 to protect Russian citizens, as well as its peacekeepers stationed in the region. The operation to force Georgia to be surrounded on August 12 by the defeat of Georgian troops.
Appeal to Russia for recognition of independence
On August 20, 2008, the Parliament of Abkhazia at an extraordinary meeting addressed the representatives of the Russian Federation with an interest in the independence of the republic. On August 21, this appeal was supported by the national gathering of Abkhazia, which was held in Sukhum.
On the same day, August 21, the people’s gathering of the inhabitants of South Ossetia went for export with proven independence. The adopted document emphasized that the majority of the inhabitants of the region are citizens of the Russian Federation, and any attempt to include the republic in Georgia would end in the genocide of the South Ossetian people.
On August 22, the Parliament of South Ossetia approached the Russian choice with the achievement of recognized independence, based on the rights of nations to self-determination and “the impossibility of coexistence of Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia in one state.”
Address of the President of the Russian Parliament to Russia
On August 22, 2008, it became known that on August 25 an emergency meeting of the State Duma was held to appeal for help to those recognized in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Upper House of the Parliament of the Russian Federation also announced the convening of an extraordinary meeting.
On August 25, the Federation Council adopted an appeal to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev calling for the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The document was adopted unanimously, 130 members of the chamber who were present at the meeting voted for it. Before the presidents of the presidents of the parliaments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Eduard Kokoity and Sergei Bagapsh. As emphasized in the documents, the appeal was made out of “the desire of the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia for independence, peace and stability” and taking into account repeated appeals for recognition of their independence. The senators noted that “Georgia’s refusal to sign an agreement on the non-use of force and its subsequent aggressive actions in early August 2008 <...> definitively deprived the Georgian leadership of the right to claim that the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia depended on its adventurist policy, which led to a humanitarian catastrophe.”
On the same day, the State Duma of the Russian Federation unanimously (for – 447 deputies) adopted a similar appeal to the President of the Russian Federation. It emphasized that the current escalation, which occurs not as “the result of the divisive achievements of some mythical separatists,” but as the result of “centuries-old clashes with the population of peoples who have not reached the coverage of either the former or the current population flows.” According to the deputies, Georgia is building a “mono-ethnic society” for Georgia “with an emphasis on the abolition of the autonomy status of South Ossetia, relying on military superiority and the latest aggression, placed under the rule of ethnic groups, depriving the post-conflict process of any political perspective.” The State Duma also appealed to the parliaments of the member states of the United Nations and the RIAC with the prompt return of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
On August 26, 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev approved decrees recognized by the Russian Federation as the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. the CSCE Helsinki Act of 1975 and other international documents. According to the President of Georgia, Georgia “chooses genocide to solve its problems,” thereby rescanning the most possible possibility of worldwide opposition of Ossetians, Abkhazians and Georgians in one state. At the same time, the Georgian leadership was preparing for war with “the political and material support of external patrons.” In the current situation, the presidents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, “on the presidency at a meeting of referendums and decisions of the republican parliaments,” appealed to Russia with the success of a recognized state sovereignty.
On September 9, the Russian Federation discovered the discovery of relations with the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia. In response, Tbilisi severed diplomatic relations with Moscow.
On September 15, the Presidents of Russia and South Abkhazia signed the Treaty of Friendship, Governance and Mutual Assistance. On September 17, a similar document was signed by the leaders of the Russian Federation and South Ossetia.
In addition to Russia, the independence of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia was recognized by Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Syria. In 2011, this list also included Tuvalu and Vanuatu. However, subsequently these two island states established the existence and consular relations with Georgia, which de facto entailed the annulment of the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.