Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1basesabkhazia021309.html
UNITED NATIONS, February 13 -- As the Security Council on Friday passed a resolution concerning the UN Observer Mission in Abkhazia, Georgian diplomats were worried. This is another step, one told Inner City Press, to a loss of sovereignty. Inner City Press asked Georgia's Ambassador on-camera how the resolution impacts territorial integrity, and about the military bases Russia has said that it plans for South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He replied that would be a "brutal breach" of international law, and that Russia has been "rebuked." Video here, from Minute 2:46.
Russia's Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, next up, called Abkhazia a sovereign state which can make agreements to allow bases from any country it likes. Inner City Press asked him about Georgia's territorial integrity. Churkin predicted that "some colleagues will interpret elements of the resolution" as supporting Georgia's claim, but noted that there is "no reference" to territorial integrity in the resolution. Video here, from Minute 6:38. Inner City Press also asked why the foreign minister of Abkhazia had not come to the Council. He didn't ask, Churkin replied.
As predicted, the UK's John Sawers emerged and pointed at parts of the resolution he said support Georgia's continued claim. Inner City Press asked about Russia's planned bases, is it true the UK rebukes them? Video here, from Minute 1:49. Sawyer replied that the UK supports the territorial integrity of Georgia, and so bases could only legal go there with Georgia's consent.
That consent will not be given, while Russian bases seem more and more likely.
Inner City Press asked the Georgian Ambassador if with the new U.S. Administration saying it wants to get along better with Russia, things might just keep sliding away. He replied that Georgia and the U.S. share values, and Georgian territorial integrity is one of these values.
But might it implicitly be traded away for fewer Russian missiles, or continued use of Kyrgyzstan?
Footnote: on another matter, some interpreted the lack of a sound system during the Abkhazia stakeout, and the banging and clashing sounds from just outside, as a sign of the low place the issue now has on the UN's agenda. But it may just be that the outside contractor which runs UN TV is cutting corners, storing furniture from other closed-down offices inside the UN, moving to terminate long-time sound men, and no longer providing a boom microphone at the stakeout, except when the U.S. speaks. That's what some are saying.And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc1basesabkhazia021309.html
