Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tod the UN General Assembly in New York that "Russia is ready to act as a guarantor of arrangements on non-use of force between Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia, taking into account the earlier relevant statements of the leaders of these three countries". Lavrov said that Russia "would welcome it if the United States and the European Union made similar committments. As guarantors we would be ready to take steps to prevent resumption of violence in the region and in case of wrongful use of force by either side to work towards the early settlement of the situation on the basis of the existing norms of international law".
The Political Editor of commonspace.eu commented that the Russian offer is likely to be received with a lot of cynicism, not only in Georgia but also in the wider international community where Russia has for long stopped being perceived as an honest broker in the conflict between Georgia and its two break-away regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia recognised the two regions as indpendent countries after the August 2008 war.
The Russian Foreign Minister did not offer to make similar security guarantees in the context of the Karabakh conflict but said that Russia will promote confidence building and ceasefire measures within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-Chair troika.
source: commonspace.eu
photo: Foreign Minister Lavrov speaking at the 66 UN General Assembly in New York (picture courtesy of the United Nations)
