III
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 550
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 2, 2008
Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Casey, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Lieberman) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
May 20, 2008
Reported by Mr. Biden, without amendment
June 3, 2008
Considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding provocative and dangerous statements made by the Government of the Russian Federation that undermine the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia.
Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia has been reaffirmed by the international community and 32 United Nations Security Council resolutions;
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Georgia has pursued with good faith the peaceful resolution of territorial conflicts in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia since the end of hostilities in 1993;
Whereas President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has offered a clear plan for resolving the conflict in Abkhazia and securing legitimate interests of the Abkhaz and South Ossetian people within a unified Georgia;
Whereas, for several years, the Government of Russia has engaged in an ongoing process of usurping the sovereignty of Georgia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia by awarding subsidies, the right to vote in elections in Russia, and Russian passports to people living in those regions;
Whereas the announcement of the Government of the Russian
Federation that it will establish official ties
with the
breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and further involve itself in
aspects of their government appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at
annexation;
Whereas the statements and counter-productive behavior of the Government of the Russian Federation in these regions has undermined the peace and security of those regions, the Republic of Georgia, and the region as a whole; and
Whereas the consistent effort to undermine the sovereignty of a neighbor is incompatible with the role of the Russian Federation as one of the world’s leading powers and is inconsistent with the commitments to international peacekeeping made by the Government of the Russian Federation: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
condemns recent
decisions made by the Government of the Russian Federation to establish
official ties
with the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, a process that further impedes reconciliation between those regions
and the Government of Georgia and violates the sovereignty of the Republic of
Georgia and the commitments of the Government of the Russian Federation to
international peacekeeping;
calls upon the Government of the Russian Federation to disavow this policy, which gives the appearance of being motivated by an appetite for annexation;
affirms that the restoration of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia is in the interest of all who seek peace and stability in the region;
urges all parties to the conflicts in the Republic of Georgia and governments around the world to eschew rhetoric that escalates tensions and undermines efforts to negotiate a settlement to the conflicts; and
commends the Government of Georgia for acting with restraint in the face of serious provocation.