by Alexey Vlasov exclusively for VK
Media have taken an active part in overblowing a scandal around a Russian delegation’s attitude towards the resolution of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly calling Abkhazia and South Ossetia “occupied territories”. Nikolai Kovalev has given a clear answer to the question why the Russian delegation abstained: “The OSCE session was generally tendencious and I view the position as anti-Russian in many cases, aimed at harming Russia. Concerning Georgia, it was pretty much preconceived and tendencious”. Commenting on the reasons why Russia did not vote against the resolution, Kovalev emphasized that “the resolution has some wise points that should not be disagreed with as well”.
The idea of the head of the Russian delegation is generally clear, Russia will never pass a resolution with points unsuitable for Moscow and its allies in South Caucasus. But the procedure should not turn into comedy either. It seems that people trying to discredit Russian functionaries in South Caucasus want farce to start, aka “the worse – the better”.
Regarding the term “occupied territories”, efforts of the US diplomacy have not been wasted. It seems Hillary Clinton, managed to convince European partners that a more firm position against Russia and its policy in Abkhazia and South Ossetia could be efficient.
At the same time, it was a bonus for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been receiving many gifts from western co-sponsors in the last times. The Georgian leader should be more concerned over the fact that those are goodbye “gifts”, because Georgia is entering the polling cycle that ends in 2013 with elections of a new president.
The text of the Declaration has no legal power. it is simply declarative, but it has left so many copies broken behind it, forcing one to question the real nature of this “movement”, from the western point of view and from the view of those who oppose the Kremlin’s foreign political course towards neighbours in Russia.
