Double standard policies
The USA proudly displays its double standard policies to the whole
world. This time the selective approach to international issues touches
upon the recognition of small republics.
Having recognized Kosovo, the US administration looks right through
the similar right of the republic of South Ossetia. The US Department of
State continues to emphasize the uniqueness of the “Kosovo phenomenon.”
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recently released a
statement on South Ossetia. Speaking about a possibility for this
Caucasian republic to declare independence, Mrs. Rice strongly rejected
a similarity between its sovereignty and the Kosovo problem.
While on her way to Brussels, Belgium, US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was asked by a journalist if she thought that South
Ossetia's independence was inevitable.
"It’s not going to happen," snapped Condoleezza Rice, cutting short
the dreams and hopes of freedom which are shared by the South Ossetians.
"I don’t want to try to judge the motives, but we’ve been very clear
that Kosovo is sui generis and that that is because of the special
circumstances out of which the breakup of Yugoslavia came," added the
Bush-appointed official before again repeating that "it’s a special
circumstance,” she said.
South Ossetia was an autonomous oblast of Georgia in Soviet times.
The majority of the territory including the capital of Tskhinvali is
administered by the government of the de facto independent South
Ossetian Republic, which declared independence from Georgia. South
Ossetia's declaration of independence is not recognised by any country.
However, parts of eastern and southern South Ossetia are controlled
by the Georgian government. Georgia does not recognize South Ossetia as
a distinct or independent entity.
However in April of 2007, the Georgian government created a temporary
administrative unit (Provisional Administrative Entity of South Ossetia)
headed by ethnic Ossetians (former members of separatist government)
which would enable Tbilisi to administer the region through local
leaders, negotiate with Ossetian authorities regarding its final status
and conflict resolution.
The United Nations, European Union, OSCE, Council of the European
Union, NATO and most of the countries around the world recognize South
Ossetia as an integral part of the Georgian state and its constitution.
However, the de facto independent republic governed by the
secessionist government has held a second independence referendum on
November 12, 2006, after its first referendum in 1992 was not recognized
by the international community as valid. As expected the referendum
turned out a majority for independence from Georgia.
However, it was not recognized internationally by the UN, European
Union, OSCE, NATO and the Russian Federation, given the lack of ethnic
Georgian participation and the legality of such referendum without
recognition from the central government in Tbilisi.
- Pravda, Russia |
