Medvedev: New geopolitical situation developing in Transcaucasia

news.am, Armenia
Aug 8 2009

Russian President: New geopolitical situation developing in
Transcaucasia

11:26 / 08/08/2009Presently Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia should
sign binding agreements on non-use of force that will guarantee the
security of South Ossetians and Abkhazians, RF President Dmitry
Medvedev said in his letter to the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the tragic events in South
Ossetia.

`I sure it is only such a legal basis that will prevent new outbreaks
of violence and recurrence of tragedies similar to last year’s one,’
the letter reads. Medvedev is convinced that `all the countries should
abstain from supplying arms and military hardware to Georgia for a
long time.’ He supposes international community should take over joint
responsibility `for Georgian authorities not to create illusions that
they can settle all problems by force with impunity.’

Medvedev underlined that Fench President Sarkozy `played a significant
role in the solution to the Georgian-Ossetian crisis.’ He is also
satisfied with the activity of the EU Monitoring mission in Georgia.

The President considers that August 2008 events will remain in the
center of the internatioinal community’s attention: `It is obviously,
that Saakashvili’s adventurist policy brought about a new geopolitical
situation in the Transcaucasia. One can hardly ignore the fact of two
new states existing in the region. Today the main objective is to
guarantee peace and security in Transcaucasia in the interests of all
peoples of the region.’

Medvedev expressed concern about Georgia’s actions ‘ `from persistent
threats to restore their `territorial integrity’ by force and
day-to-day warlike rhetoric to the deployment of troops on the borders
with South Ossetia and Abkhazia and serious provocations in the
frontier zone.’