BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- The Russian Parliament`s decision yesterday to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia has raised issues of separatism and territorial integrity. The move was meant to give a legal imprimatur to these two Georgian regions` declarations of independence back in the 1990s. The Kremlin still has to approve the decision. Actually, Russian leaders openly said during the recent conflict over South Ossetia that the two separatist regions would never again be dominated by Tbilisi , but it`s clear that they`re not in any hurry to approve Parliament`s decision but instead will act in line with developments. In other words, Moscow will try to use this trump card against the West.
Russia`s support for South Ossetia and Abkhazia`s separatist movements is nothing new. After Georgia left the former Soviet Union and gained independence, these two regions declared they wanted to leave Tbilisi . After a pro-US administration was established in Georgia , Russia boosted its military and economic support to the two regions and even distributed Russian passports to the locals. If a pro-Russian regime, instead of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, had held power in Tbilisi , Moscow `s stance on Georgia `s territorial integrity would have been different too, just like its stance on Kosovo declaring its independence earlier this year. Back then, the Kremlin defended Serbia `s territorial integrity against Kosavar separatism. And when many Western countries recognized Kosovo`s independence, Moscow clearly said that if you do this, one day we`ll recognize Abkhazia (and South Ossetia ). In this respect, the latest step by Russia on the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia can be considered its move in response to Kosovo.
In principle, or on paper, everybody is in favor of territorial integrity and against separatism. The Russian Federation also espouses these principles due to its own problematic regions, like Chechnya . But when it suits its interests, Moscow carefully defends the same criteria for others, like on the Kosovo issue, or for Cyprus . Moscow has long supported the Greek Cypriot administration over the Cyprus issue, objected to Turks` establishing a separate entity, and refused to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). But Russia `s operation in South Ossetia and its active support for separatism both there and in Abkhazia and now its decision to recognize their independence shows that when its own interests are at stake, it takes the opposite side. Moscow `s recognizing separatist regions over Georgia `s territorial integrity is a bad example for the Greek Cypriots, who have always gotten sympathy and support from Russia , as they`re concerned about the West recognizing Kosovo."