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Presidential Executive Office2025
Events

Dmitry Mevedev sent French President Nicolas Sarkozy a message on the anniversary of the tragic events in South Ossetia

August 8, 2009
08:30

The message reads in part:

“During those days, France's involvement as the holder of the European Union presidency in our efforts to stop the aggression unleashed by Mikheil Saakashvili was effective and efficient. In fact, the agreements of August 12 [Medvedev-Sarkozy six-point plan] and September 8, 2008 [additional measures to the Medvedev-Sarkozy six-point plan] remain the only 'Code of Conduct' in the Caucasus region.

Back in October last year, Russia fully complied with its obligations as provided for by those instruments. We value the EU's implementation of the agreements we reached – we are generally satisfied with the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia. At the same time, it is regrettable that it was not possible to agree on the parameters for further work by the OSCE and UN missions in the region. We believe that the possibility of finding a suitable formula for the continued activities of these important international institutions remains. Of course, they must be agreed to by all three parties – South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia.

The events of August 2008 will remain the focus of international community for a long time. It is obvious that the adventurist policies of Mikheil Saakashvili in the Caucasus created a new geopolitical situation; it is hardly possible to ignore the independent existence of two new states. Today the main challenge is to ensure lasting peace and security in the Caucasus in the interest of all the peoples living there.

That was the purpose behind the deployment of Russian military and border troops on the territory of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In accordance with the bilateral agreements we signed with these sovereign republics, everything necessary to maintain stability in the region and secure the protection of civilians will be done.

The actions of the Georgian side, however, remain a cause of serious concern. They range from continued threats to use force to restore the 'territorial integrity' of Georgia and daily bellicose rhetoric, to the concentration of military forces along the borders with South Ossetia and Abkhazia and grave provocations in border areas.

In this regard, I would like to stress once again the urgent need for the swift conclusion of binding agreements on the non-use of force between Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. These documents should contain explicit guarantees for the security of the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I am convinced that only the creation of such a legal framework will allow us to avoid new outbreaks of violence and eliminate the repetition of last year's tragedy.

In this context, the need for all countries to refrain for a long time from supplying Georgia with weapons and military equipment can hardly be overestimated. I believe that the international community should approach this issue in a spirit of joint responsibility, to ensure that the Georgian leadership does not fall prey to illusions about the possibility of solving their problems through military means without incurring punishment.”

Dmitry Medvedev stressed that the active personal involvement of Nicolas Sarkozy “played a major role in resolving the Georgian-South Ossetian crisis”, and noted that he attaches great importance to continuing the dialogue on the maintenance of stability in the region.

See also

Excerpts from Transcript of Conversation with Authors of the Film ‘In August of 2008’
August 7, 2009

Publication status

Published in section: News

Publication date: August 8, 2009, 08:30

Direct link: en.kremlin.ru/d/5135

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Dmitry Mevedev sent French President Nicolas Sarkozy a message on the anniversary of the tragic events in South Ossetia

http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/5135

Last updated at March 20, 2015, 18:02

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