28 August 2008, 16:34
Georgian parliament votes for diplomatic break with Russia
Tonight, the parliament of Georgia has voted for break of diplomatic relations with Russia and confirmed the status of Russian troops in the territory of the country as "occupational". The decision to convoke an emergency session of the parliament was made in the context of recognition by Russian leadership of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence.
The statement consisting of seven points was unanimously adopted by 106 Georgian MPs. According to the statement, all the armed forces of Russia in Georgia, including peacekeepers are occupational forces, and "the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia are the territories of Georgia occupied by Russia."
The parliament has commissioned the government of Georgia to cancel all the agreements envisioning the stay of Russian armed units in the territory of the country. At the same time, Georgia confirms its obligations under the ceasefire document signed with the mediation of the European Union, the "News-Georgia" Agency reports.
The RIA "Novosti" reports that the proposal to break diplomatic relations is contained in the statement "On Occupation by the Russian Federation of the Territory of Georgia". The statement comes into force from the moment of promulgation. When addressing the deputies, Lasha Zhvaniya, one of the authors of the statement and chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations, has specified that according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the break of diplomatic relations "does not always mean the break of consular relations."
