[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 116 (Friday, July 29, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S5049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PEACEFUL AND JUST RESOLUTION IN GEORGIA
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate
proceed to Calendar No. 113, S. Res. 175.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 175) expressing the sense of the
Senate with respect to ongoing violations of the territorial
integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and the importance of a
peaceful and just resolution to the conflict within Georgia's
internationally recognized borders.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I know of no further debate. I ask
the Senate to vote on the adoption of the resolution.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Hearing no further debate, the question is on
the adoption of the resolution.
The resolution (S. Res. 175) was agreed to.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. I ask unanimous consent the preamble be agreed to,
the motion to reconsider be agreed to, with no intervening action or
debate, and any statements be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 175
Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of Georgia
has been reaffirmed by the international community and 36
United Nations Security Council resolutions;
Whereas the United States-Georgia Strategic Charter, signed
on January 9, 2009, underscores that ``support for each
other's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and
inviolability of borders constitutes the foundation of our
bilateral relations'';
Whereas, in October 2010, at the meeting of the United
States-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton stated, ``The United States will not
waiver in its support for Georgia's sovereignty and
territorial integrity.'';
Whereas the White House released a fact sheet on July 24,
2010, calling for ``Russia to end its occupation of the
Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia'' and for
``a return of international observers to the two occupied
regions of Georgia'';
Whereas Vice President Joseph Biden stated in Tbilisi in
July 2009 that the United States ``will not recognize
Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states'';
Whereas, according to the Government of Georgia's ``State
Strategy on Occupied Territories,'' the Government of Georgia
has committed itself to a policy of peaceful engagement, the
protection of economic and human rights, freedom of movement,
and the preservation of cultural heritage, language, and
identity for the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
Whereas the August 2008 conflict between the Governments of
Russia and Georgia resulted in civilian and military
causalities, the violation of the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Georgia, and large numbers of internally
displaced persons;
Whereas large numbers of persons remain displaced as a
result of the August 2008 conflict as well as the earlier
conflicts of the 1990s;
Whereas the August 12, 2008, ceasefire agreement, agreed to
by the Governments of Russia and Georgia provides that all
troops of the Russian Federation shall be withdrawn to pre-
conflict positions;
Whereas the August 12, 2008, ceasefire agreement provides
that free access shall be granted to organizations providing
humanitarian assistance in regions affected by violence in
August 2008;
Whereas the recognition by the Government of Russia of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 26, 2008, was in
violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Georgia;
Whereas Human Rights Watch concluded in its World Report
2011 that ``Russia continued to occupy Georgia's breakaway
regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and strengthened its
military presence in the region by establishing a military
base and placing an advanced surface-to-air missile system in
Abkhazia'';
Whereas the parties have taken some constructive steps in
recent months, including the resumption of direct flights
between Russia and Georgia, Russian troop withdrawal from the
Georgian village of Perevi, and regular participation in the
Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism;
Whereas these positive steps neither adequately address the
humanitarian situation on the ground nor constitute full
compliance with the terms of the August 2008 ceasefire
agreement;
Whereas, on November 23, 2010, before the European
Parliament, Georgian President Saakashvili declared that
``Georgia will never use force to restore its territorial
integrity and sovereignty'';
Whereas Secretary of State Clinton stated in Tbilisi on
July 5, 2010, ``We continue to call for Russia to abide by
the August 2008 cease-fire commitment . . . including ending
the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South
Ossetia and Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions.'';
Whereas the Russian Federation blocked the extension of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Mission to Georgia and the United Nations Observer Mission in
Georgia, forcing the missions to withdraw from South Ossetia
and Abkhazia;
Whereas troops of the Russian Federation stationed in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia continue to be present without the
consent of the Government of Georgia or a mandate from the
United Nations or other multilateral organizations;
Whereas, at the April 15, 2011, meeting in Berlin between
the foreign ministers of Georgia and NATO, Secretary of State
Clinton stated, ``U.S. support for Georgia's sovereignty and
territorial integrity remains steadfast. . . . We share
Georgian concerns regarding recent Russian activities that
can negatively affect regional stability.'';
Whereas, on April 25-26, 2011, Foreign Minister of Russia
Sergei Lavrov made a high-profile visit to Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, which was immediately criticized by the Department
of State as ``inconsistent with the principle of territorial
integrity and Georgia's internationally recognized borders'';
Whereas the Senate supports United States efforts to
develop a productive relationship with the Russian Federation
in areas of mutual interest, including non-proliferation and
arms control, cooperation concerning the failure of the
Government of Iran to meet its international obligations with
regard to its nuclear programs, counter-terrorism,
Afghanistan, anti-piracy, and economics and trade; and
Whereas the Senate agrees that these efforts must not
compromise longstanding United States policy or United States
support for its allies and partners worldwide: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) affirms that it is the policy of the United States to
support the sovereignty, independence, and territorial
integrity of Georgia and the inviolability of its borders,
and to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as regions of
Georgia occupied by the Russian Federation;
(2) calls upon the Government of Russia to take steps to
fulfill all the terms and conditions of the 2008 ceasefire
agreements between Georgia and Russia, including returning
military forces to pre-war positions and ensuring access to
international humanitarian aid to all those affected by the
conflict;
(3) urges the Government of Russia and the authorities in
control in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to allow
for the full and dignified return of internally displaced
persons and international missions to the territories of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
(4) supports peaceful, constructive engagement and
confidence-building measures between the Government of
Georgia and the authorities in control in South Ossetia and
Abkhazia and encourages additional people-to-people contacts;
and
(5) affirms that finding a peaceful resolution to the
conflict is a key priority for the United States in the
Caucasus region and that lasting regional stability can only
be achieved through peaceful means and long-term diplomatic
and political dialogue between all parties.
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