Resolution called Abkhazia and South Ossetia “regions of Georgia occupied by Russia.”

Officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed surprise over the U.S. Senate’s resolution where the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were described as Russian-occupied territories.

According to Alexander Lukashevich of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the assertion that the two former Georgian provinces are in any manner “occupied” has no support in fact or in international law. Mr. Lukashevich noted that such a statement reflects either the ignorance of senior American legislators about the norms of international law or their unwillingness to learn of the real situation in the breakaway republics.

At the same time, Mr. Lukashevich indicated that such statements by high U.S. bodies cannot be considered in any way harmless. The effect of the Senate’s resolution would be the incitement of revanchist sentiments, which are propagated by the official policy of the Georgian President Saakashvili. The statement is also likely going to hinder the political dialogue among Tbilisi, Sukhumi, and Tskhinvali. As a result, regional stability, which is so dependent on the willingness of the parties to come to the negotiating table, may be undermined.

According to Mr. Lukashevich, the resolution adopted by the United States Senate seems to espouse the position of the American government three years ago. The resolution includes every possible negative stereotype that the U.S. government asserted in the past. The claim about the occupation of the two provinces is only one of the more outrageous accusations.

The Russian side has on numerous occasions provided evidence as to the utter inapplicability of the “occupation” reference to the arrangement existing on the territory of former Georgian republics. Specifically, there are no Russian troops stationed in Georgia at this time. While Russian contingents are present in the region, they are stationed only in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two countries that Russia recognizes as wholly independent states. The border guards and the soldiers have been placed in the two republics with the consent of their governments within the framework of international agreements.

Mr. Lukashevich noted that when one ordinarily speaks about “occupation” in international law, the reference is to the effective total control of one country over the territory of another and over the local population. Thus, Russia’s presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia cannot be characterized as occupation.