European Forum

Medvedev promises support and financial assistance to Georgia’s separatist region during visit

On 13 July Russian President Dmitri Medvedev paid an unexpected visit to one of Georgia’s breakaway regions, South Ossetia. He said Russia would continue supporting the region. It was the first time a Russian leader visited the secession state, since both South Ossetia and Abkhazia were pronounced independent states by Russia following the 2008 August war with Georgia.

Medvedev, among other things, examined Russia’s new military base in the region and promised the citizens of South Ossetia to offer more military help and more financial support for the rebuilding of their homes, which were destroyed in the five-day war. "We have a whole series of projects to revive the economy and the republic's social sphere," Medvedev said to Russian media. A couple of months ago, Russia already transferred an amount of 100 million dollar to the South Ossetian government, although a part of the sum has disappeared.

Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili called the visit “the most immoral and shameful precedent of Russia in centuries”. Moreover, critics consider Medvedev’s visit as an insult to U.S. President Barack Obama, who last week during his trip to Russia reiterated U.S.´ support for Georgia’s territorial integrity. During the meetings between Obama, Medvedev and PM Putin, however, the officials did not discuss the issue of Georgia’s breakaway regions. Analysts also consider Medvedev’s visit as a reinforcement of Russia’s presence in the region. This was also shown by the Russian military ‘war games’ recently performed on Georgia’s borders. Putin has also planned a visit to Abkhazia this summer –all which indicates that Russia is not willing to make concessions with Georgia regarding its break away regions.

Medvedev's visit comes amid rising tensions between Georgia and its two rebel states. After both OSCE and UN were forced to leave Georgia following Russia's veto that blocked the extension of both mandates in the region, Western critics fear that every small incident could contribute to a full scale war in the already unstable Caucasus. Moreover, last week, according to Abkhazian authorities Georgian spy crafts were flying over Abkhazia –which was denied by Georgia. Comparable flights caused the outbreak of the 2008 August war.


Sources: Kommersant; Civil Georgia; Reuters