Statement delivered by Mr. Vice Skracic, Minister Counsellor of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations, on the UN Security Council debate on Georgia/South Ossetia (3rd debate).
Mr. President, allow me to thank like other colleagues before me both Under-Secretary General Pascoe as well as Assistant-Secretary General Mullet for their briefings.
This is the third time we are meeting in this Chamber in as many days on the situation in Georgia. My delegation has and continues to express its grave concerns on recent developments in that country. The situation in the conflict zone in South Ossetia, Georgia seems to be getting worse, reports of heavy fighting between Georgian and Russian armed forces continues unabated, which has all culminated with the Georgian Parliament declaring a state of war.
Croatia is also extremely concerned about the introduction of large numbers of Russian troops into the conflict area of South Ossetia, Georgia, and now also into the Abkhazia region of Georgia. Let me be clear. Croatia fully supports and respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, and sees the brazen violation of its borders as totally unacceptable.
In this regard, and as we have stated on previous occasions in this chamber, we understand and welcome that the Russian Federation takes seriously its obligations in Georgia's region of South Ossetia as a peacekeeper, but feel strongly that her actions in the past days go far beyond the role of a peacekeeper as was foreseen in the armistice agreement [signed in Sochi] in 1992 between Georgian, Russian and South Ossetian leaders.
Moreover, Croatia is very concerned about the escalation and widening of the conflict to other areas of Georgia, not connected with the situation in South Ossetia. We feel strongly that a country purporting to act as a peacekeeper in one region of another sovereign state should not be using its military to target military and civilian targets in another completely unrelated region of that same sovereign country, whatever the reasoning.
We are also extremely concerned by the fact that efforts to de-escalate the conflict through direct diplomatic links between Russia and Georgia, or between the authorities of Georgia's separatist regions and Georgia, are not making any real progress.
Croatia once again calls on all sides to immediately and unconditionally agree to a ceasefire and refrain from further acts of provocation. We believe it will be very difficult to have a return to the situation of August 6 before hostilities began and a restoration of the status quo ante during that time if a ceasefire cannot be agreed to. Both Georgia and Russia need to withdraw their forces following the establishment of a ceasefire, and then re-engage in diplomatic and political efforts to resolve outstanding issues.
We welcome the Georgian decision to withdraw its forces from South Ossetia and hope this signals the start of talks between Georgian and Russian and South Ossetian authorities. At the same time, we are disturbed by reports that these retreating troops are being fired upon.
Russia needs to be a credible partner in this process, and should not be leveraging its position to the detriment of any of the parties within Georgia, and in particular should not dictate the eventual outcome of talks between Georgian and South Ossetian authorities, or between Georgian and Abkhazian authorities.
We welcome the joint EU and OSCE Mission that went to Georgia yesterday and sincerely hope that their efforts will be able to broker a much needed ceasefire and return to negotiations. We especially support the ongoing role and activities of the OSCE in the South Ossetia region of Georgia, as an impartial mediator, and believe that the offer of the use of their good offices should be taken up by all sides to this conflict.
Lastly, Mr. President, my delegation deplores the most recent actions of the de-facto authorities of Georgia's Abkhazia region in the upper Kodori valley vis-a-vis UNOMIG and the shelling of Georgian villages. These authorities should not be exacerbating an already fragile situation elsewhere in the country by preempting the use of force. We hope that the authorities of the Abkhaz region of Georgia will refrain from further hostile acts and allow UNOMIG to return to this region in line with resolutions of the Security Council and the existing international agreement.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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