Georgian Parliament Demands Russian Troop Withdrawal

Georgian Parliament issued an official statement today asking the Russian government to withdraw its peacekeeping troops from two separatist regions, in a political move which would surely add to the tensions between the two states, CNN informs.

The non-binding resolution, adopted with 144 votes to 0, called on the government to initiate a process by which Russian peacekeepers from Abkhazia and South Ossetia would be pulled out. Decision-makers from the opposition in the 235-member legislature opposed the resolution, saying it is much too weak because it does not stipulate an exact timetable for withdrawal procedures.

Moreover, the resolution, the second of its kind in 10 months, asks the government to annul all agreements that relate to the peacekeeping forces so that they prepare for "immediate withdrawal".

All eyes are now upon Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who has the final word on the issue and who would probably use his vote on the resolution in order to settle some scores with Russia from previous disputes, including the bans Russia implemented on the Georgian wines and mineral water on the one hand, and the efforts Georgia made in order to block Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, on the other. "No one should have any illusions that these 'frozen conflicts' will forever remain in this condition, and that historically inalienable parts of Georgia can be split apart from it," parliamentary speaker, Nino Burdzhanadze warned.

Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have their own affairs to settle with the Russian government, whose support they benefited from, ever since they first attempted to break away from the central government at the beginning of the 1990s. Russian peacekeeping troops that serve in Abkhazia are under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States, while those that serve in South Ossetia belong to a special force contingent that is made up of both Georgian and South Ossetian troops. Georgian officials have been accusing the Russian troops of siding with separatists for a long time now.

As far as Russia is concerned, officials declared that they would not retrieve their troops from both regions unless the separatist forces call on them to do so. Moreover, Russia granted citizenship to many residents in both regions and officials asserted that their country would not do anything that would endanger the lives of Russian citizens living there.