In August 2008, the Russian Federation carried out large-scale military aggression against Georgia, occupying 20 percent of its territory. Summer of 2008 stays in the memory of the Georgian people as an attempt by the neighboring country to brutally destroy our statehood. It was a part of the well-planned strategy of the Kremlin to take total control over the Caucasus region. The Russian invasion brought a new wave of thousands of Georgian IDPs (internally displaces persons) and refugees who escaped the threat of mass murder carried out by the invaders against the ethnic Georgian population. Georgian cities were looted and destroyed and Georgian villages in the conflict zone were pillaged, deliberately burned and bulldozed. It is significant to note that during the last 20 years the Russian Federation has conducted several waves of ethnic cleansing in Georgia's integral regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. Regrettably, three years after the August war, Russia still continues its aggression policy towards the destruction of Georgian statehood, sovereignty and independence. The Russian Federation makes it impossible for hundreds of thousands of people internally displaced as a result of ethnic cleansing to return to their places of origin. Russia adopts a clearly discriminatory approach to people of Georgian origin. Moreover, even ethnic Georgians holding Russian citizenship are denied their rights, including property rights, on the occupied territories. The policy of ethnic cleansing is continuing, this time by changing the names of historical and geographical sites in the occupied areas, destroying Georgian architectural monuments or reshaping them in the Russian style. Russia is actively using its economic and energy levers against Georgia. The full-scale embargo imposed by Russia on Georgian products is still in place. The Russian Federation "got rid" of any international presence in the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia thus making these regions into so-called "black holes" of organized crime, trafficking and violation of human rights. On the third anniversary of the war, the Russian Federation is still proceeding with its attempts to "buy" the so-called "independence" of the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia by holding trainings of occupation troops on the occupied territories, carrying out visits of high-ranking Russian officials, conducting racy militarization of the regions, and construction of military bases there. Of particular concern is the deployment of rocket launchers and artillery mounts on the occupied territories. The international community is today deprived of any access to objective information from the occupied territories. Russia's aggressive plans regarding Georgia still pose a threat to peace and stability of the entire Caucasus and Black Sea regions. It is obvious that the Russian Federation does not seem to reject the idea of a new full-scale military aggression against Georgia. Since 2009 Russia has masterminded over 12 terrorist acts on Georgian territory. Fortunately, most were foiled by Georgian law enforcement agencies. By taking such actions the Russian Federation demonstratively violates the main norms and principles of International Law and its bilateral and multilateral obligations, including all resolutions on Georgia adopted by the UN Security Council and all provisions of the six-point ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008. Despite such actions by Russia, the international community showed its strong stance recognizing the occupation of the Georgian territories and rights of the Georgian IDPs and refugees to return to their homes. The European Parliament uses the term “occupation” in every resolution, as do the U.S. government and many Parliaments and governments around the world. The U.S. Senate in its resolution has officially expressed its clear and unanimous position on Georgia`s sovereignty and territorial integrity and recognized the Russian Federation as the occupational force. The UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution which condemns the demographic changes in the occupied regions and confirms the necessity of voluntary, dignified and safe return of IDPs and refugees to their homes. The Resolution underlines the urgent necessity of an unhampered humanitarian activity in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions. Mentioned provision obtains special importance in light of the continued efforts by the Russian Federation and its proxy regimes to block the humanitarian missions and international organizations from entering the occupied territories. The positive dynamics generated by the increased number of supporters of the Resolution proves the growing awareness among the international community in respect to the humanitarian disaster produced by the forceful demographic changes in the occupied regions of Georgia. Russia not only voted against the Resolution, but also did its best to convince the international community that IDPs and refugees have no right to return to their homes. The Georgian government has elected to pursue a peaceful policy oriented towards development, dialogue and engagement. Georgia fully complies with all obligations under the Ceasefire Agreement of 12 August 2008. In his address to the European Parliament on 23 November 2010, the President of Georgia made a unilateral declaration not to use force in order to restore control over our illegally divided country, neither against the occupation forces, nor against their proxies. Georgia spares no diplomatic efforts to achieve the restoration of the presence of international organizations on the occupied territories and to provide objective information to the international organizations concerning the current security and human rights situation. Georgia continues constructive engagement in the Geneva Talks and remains committed to holding an unconditional dialogue with the Russian Federation at any stage for the peaceful resolution of the existing problems. In parallel, the Government of Georgia is motivated to create favorable conditions for the residents of the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia to live in a stable, peaceful and developed Georgia. For this purpose, the Georgian government worked out a strategy and a plan of action towards these regions, which are oriented towards the improvement of economic and social conditions for our Abkhazian and Ossetian compatriots and de-isolation of these regions. The past three years have shown that Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration is an irreversible process and the only right way to develop the country. Integration with the EU and NATO remains atop the list of Georgia's foreign political priorities, the fulfillment of which will ensure against the recurrence of any aggression similar to that in August 2008.
