Politicization of the refugee problem by Georgia undermines the work on this track in the framework of Geneva discussions

Sukhum. July 2. Apsnypress. The UN General Assembly adopts the draft resolution on refugees and displaced persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia introduced by Georgia for several consecutive years. Georgia each year repeated text of the document trying to impose unilateral, politicized and distorted vision of the refugee problem on the world community to support its illegitimate territorial claims. 

In June 2015 in the next UNGA draft resolution on refugees and displaced persons introduced by Georgia the text of which is not different from earlier adopted resolutions of the UN General Assembly, it is said on the confirmation of the right of all IDPs and refugees and their descendants to return "to their homes throughout the territory of Georgia including Abkhazia and South Ossetia." In the imposed text of the resolution to the international community it is passed over in silence that the appearance of these refugees and displaced persons is directly connected with the wars unleashed by Georgia against South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It is not said, and that among more than one hundred thousand Ossetians fled from ethnic cleansing from the Georgian territory and found refuge in South Ossetia and the Russian Federation only few of them succeeded to return home. It is not said that the governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on their own initiative have returned tens of thousands of Georgian refugees to their homes. 

The text of the resolution presented by Georgia not only include existing political realities, in particular, the fact that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are independent states, but also demonstrates a complete lack of desire of Georgia to find a solution of complex humanitarian problems. It is obvious that the Georgian resolution may not only improve the situation of refugees from Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but also unfavorably affects the course of the Geneva discussions, which remain the only place where representatives of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia have the opportunity to discuss a wide range of existing problems, including the problem of refugees and displaced persons. 

The main key to the solution of the refugee problem is not diplomatic tricks and designed for propaganda effect of resolution but a departure from the confrontational fixing and signing of a legally binding agreement of not use of force, and ultimately - the peace treaty between Georgia on the one hand, and Abkhazia and South Ossetia - on the other hand. The politicization of the refugee problem by Georgia undermines the work on this track in the framework of the Geneva discussions. As Georgia prefers to discuss issues related to the situation of refugees and IDPs in such an authoritative international body like the UN General Assembly, then South Ossetia and Abkhazia insists on its right to participate in the discussion of this issue within the walls of the United Nations. As long as they continue the political games around the refugee problem behind Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the discussion of this issue within the framework of the Geneva discussions will have no meaning.