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FLEXING MUSCLES
by Igor Romanov
DEFENSE and SECURITY
March 12, 2008 Wednesday
Russia
PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON NON-RECOGNIZED STATES AS A RESPONSE TO
RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO AS A SOVEREIGN STATE; Experts do not expect
recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as sovereign states despite
the noise the Duma may make.
The Duma will discuss the issue of self-proclaimed republics of the
post-Soviet zone on March 13. The hearings will be Russia's response
to recognition of sovereignty of Kosovo by the West. Experts in the
meantime do not expect Russia to take any practical steps to change
the status of Abkhazia or South Ossetia.
Informal meeting of the leaders of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and
Trans-Dniester region will take place in Moscow next Thursday. The Duma
will meet to discuss the issue of post-Soviet self-proclaimed states
that same day too. Konstantin Zatulin, Senior Deputy Chairman of the
CIS Committee of the Duma, said the lower house of the parliament also
intended to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh "whose leaders cannot make the
meeting in Moscow." A cooperation treaty between United Russia and
the United Abkhazia party is to be signed on March 13, apparently to
demonstrate Russia's determination.
The Russian parliament has discussed non-recognized republics' status
more than once already, but initiators of the hearings promise that it
will be different this time. CIS Committee Chairman Aleksei Ostrovsky
claims that recognition of Kosovo launched a "rearrangement of the
world" that might affect Russia. "Now that Kosovo declared itself
an independent state and world powers began recognizing it as such,
the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are entitled to demanding
their own recognition too," Ostrovsky said.
Duma's zest meanwhile may complicate the relations between Russia and
the West. US State Secretary Condolleezza Rice said this Wednesday
that Washington will never recognize sovereignty of Abkhazia. "We are
convinced that Kosovo is a unique case stemming from the exceptional
circumstances fomented by disintegration of Yugoslavia," Rice said.
Should the Duma decide to go too far, its activeness may impair the
image of Dmitry Medvedev. Aleksei Malashenko of the Moscow Carnegie
Center, however, does not expect the Duma to make any problems
for Medvedev or Russia. "That's the only way to react for Russia,"
Malashenko said. "Our foreign policy is ambivalent. On the one hand,
there is the clear and reasonable position that there will be no
recognition of self-proclaimed states. On the other, there is also the
policy of verbal games usually promoted by the Duma. That's a show,
nothing more. They will make noise, and that will be that."
by Igor Romanov
DEFENSE and SECURITY
March 12, 2008 Wednesday
Russia
PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON NON-RECOGNIZED STATES AS A RESPONSE TO
RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO AS A SOVEREIGN STATE; Experts do not expect
recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as sovereign states despite
the noise the Duma may make.
The Duma will discuss the issue of self-proclaimed republics of the
post-Soviet zone on March 13. The hearings will be Russia's response
to recognition of sovereignty of Kosovo by the West. Experts in the
meantime do not expect Russia to take any practical steps to change
the status of Abkhazia or South Ossetia.
Informal meeting of the leaders of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and
Trans-Dniester region will take place in Moscow next Thursday. The Duma
will meet to discuss the issue of post-Soviet self-proclaimed states
that same day too. Konstantin Zatulin, Senior Deputy Chairman of the
CIS Committee of the Duma, said the lower house of the parliament also
intended to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh "whose leaders cannot make the
meeting in Moscow." A cooperation treaty between United Russia and
the United Abkhazia party is to be signed on March 13, apparently to
demonstrate Russia's determination.
The Russian parliament has discussed non-recognized republics' status
more than once already, but initiators of the hearings promise that it
will be different this time. CIS Committee Chairman Aleksei Ostrovsky
claims that recognition of Kosovo launched a "rearrangement of the
world" that might affect Russia. "Now that Kosovo declared itself
an independent state and world powers began recognizing it as such,
the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are entitled to demanding
their own recognition too," Ostrovsky said.
Duma's zest meanwhile may complicate the relations between Russia and
the West. US State Secretary Condolleezza Rice said this Wednesday
that Washington will never recognize sovereignty of Abkhazia. "We are
convinced that Kosovo is a unique case stemming from the exceptional
circumstances fomented by disintegration of Yugoslavia," Rice said.
Should the Duma decide to go too far, its activeness may impair the
image of Dmitry Medvedev. Aleksei Malashenko of the Moscow Carnegie
Center, however, does not expect the Duma to make any problems
for Medvedev or Russia. "That's the only way to react for Russia,"
Malashenko said. "Our foreign policy is ambivalent. On the one hand,
there is the clear and reasonable position that there will be no
recognition of self-proclaimed states. On the other, there is also the
policy of verbal games usually promoted by the Duma. That's a show,
nothing more. They will make noise, and that will be that."