Russia Will Recognize the Unrecognized

This exclusive translation come from RBC Daily: Russia will recognize the unrecognized …In half a year Today parliamentary hearings of the committee for CIS affairs and relations with compatriots «On the state of the settlement of conflicts on the territory of the CIS and appeals to the Russian Federation on the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia, the Republic of South Ossetia and the Trans-Dniestrian Moldavian Republic» are taking place in the State Duma of the RF. A decision will not be adopted. Experts, however, consider that just the mere fact of the examination speaks to Moscow being ready to launch the process with respect to the changing of the status of these republics.

The deputies are for now not preparing to recognize the republics – for a start they intend to work out a series of recommendations, which the organs of executive power of Russia will have to be guided by in relations with the RSO, Abkhazia and Trans-Dniestria. Already speaking to the seriousness of the intentions of the parliamentarians is the fact that an official representative of the MFA of the RF, Grigory Karasin, called the future proposals of the State Duma “weighty” already before the start of the hearings.The intentions of the deputies truly did turn out to be most serious – in the draft of the resolution are contained proposals, the realization of which will signify the establishment of full-fledged inter-state relations with the three republics. Thus, what is being spoken of is the establishment of diplomatic relations – the deputies are proposing to open official representations of the Russian MFA in the RSO, Abkhazia and Trans-Dniestria. In addition to this, it will be recommended to the government of the RF to remove all restrictions on economic, cultural, and other cooperation with these states. Particular emphasis is being made on the activization of mutual relations with Russian regions – the positive experience of Moscow, already actively present in the RSO and Abkhazia for a long time, may become an example for the rest of the subjects of the RF as well.Serious measures are being prepared with respect to the economic support of the «tripartite union». Thus, what is being spoken of is the total elimination of customs barriers on the entry of output from Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Trans-Dniestria, produced at enterprises with the participation of Russian capital found there. It is obvious that such measures will lead to the stabilization of the economic situation on these territories and an improvement in the living conditions of the citizens of the given states. Being stipulated separately and most unambiguously is assistance to the republics in the event of the rendering of “military or other” pressure on them – in this case, the Russian side must “actively make use of its status as peacekeeper”, which, as is not difficult to guess, implies opposing a potential aggressor with force.The adoption of the given recommendations shows – despite the fact that Moscow for now has not recognized the independence of the RSO, Abkhazia and Trans-Dniestria legally, the realization of the packet of measures set out above makes recognition of their current status factually. While sources competent in the given question insist to RBC daily that for the legal formalization of the current realities – that is official recognition of the RSO and Abkhazia as independent states – remains to wait no more than 6 months.Anatoly Pomortsev, 13.03.2008