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UN resolution on Abkhazia/S Ossetia can complicate Geneva discussions

It described as “bewildering” the fact that “Abkhazian representatives were not invited to the U.N. again to discuss the draft resolution”

SUKHUM, July 4 (Itar-Tass) —— The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry said the adoption by the U.N. General Assembly of “a politically motivated and one-sided resolution” on Abkhazia and South Ossetia can seriously complicate the Geneva consultations on the South Caucasus.

“It is impossible to solve the ‘problem of refugees’ or any other questions concerning our state without taking into account the opinion of Abkhazia,” the ministry said on Wednesday, July 4. “The resolution adopted behind Abkhazia’s back cannot be regarded as a serious political document.”

According to the ministry, “The adoption of any international political document, even if it is not legally binding, should be based on proper regard for the entirety of facts and arguments of all interested sides.”

It described as “bewildering” the fact that “Abkhazian representatives were not invited to the U.N. again to discuss the draft resolution”.

This “deprives the document of objectivity because it is based on information provided by only one party to the conflict”, the ministry said in a statement.

“The Abkhazian side has convincing arguments concerning the merits of the problem addressed in the resolution. This information should have been taken into account when discussing and voting in the government,” the document said.

The ministry stressed that “the resolution on the whole does not conform to the provisions of the U.N. Secretary-General’s factually balanced report on the matter” published on May 22, 2012.

“There is no doubt that the authors of the resolution pursued humanitarian goals only. The adoption of this biased and one-sided document is no more than an element of Georgia’s political propaganda,” the ministry said.

Sixty countries voted for the draft resolution proposed by Georgia, 15 voted against and 82 abstained. In addition to the Georgian and Russian diplomats, the official representative of Belarus addressed the U.N. General Assembly before the vote and warned against politicising the refugee issue.

The resolution is not politically binding and urges all parties to the Geneva discussions to step up their efforts in order to establish lasting peace, agree to more effective confidence-building measures and act immediately to ensure respect for human rights and create better security conditions that would facilitate volunteer, dignified and unhindered return of all internally displaced persons to their homes.

Geneva discussions take place in accordance with the agreements between former presidents of Russia and France, Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy. They involve delegations of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, and the United States, U.N, OSCE and EU officials. The next round of consultations in Geneva is scheduled to take place in early November 2012.