Georgia's Foreign Affairs Minister in Le Monde on the sale of the Mistral warship by France to Russia

I follow events in the Caucasus region closely and especially the comments and actions of Georgia's leadership.  Recently, Le Monde interviewed Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Grigol Vashadze. One of the subjects discussed in the interview was the proposed sale of the Mistral warship by France to the Russian Federation. Mr. Vashadze says of the ships usage  "Where would such a ship go? Neither in the Baltic against Finland, nor in the Pacific against Japan or China. Everyone knows that it would be in the Black Sea, against Ukraine and Georgia."

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world and has thousands of kilometers of coastline as well as other naval vessels and merchant shipping to protect.  It is clear that there are many potential uses of the ship, especially by a navy that has many modernization needs.  But it seems that every Russian move is claimed to be a sign of hostile intent by Georgia.  The media is complicit in this by not asking Georgian officials the difficult questions about its role in starting the conflict in South Ossetia in 2008.  Little mention is made also of the large sums of money that the Georgian government was given by the U.S. that subsequently went into military spending.  I don't recall reports of officials from South Ossetia, Abkhazia or Russia asking how that money would be spent and if it would be used for aggressive military action.  However, in August 2008, Georgia attacked South Ossetia, killing hundreds of South Ossetians and Russian peacekeepers.  So, apparently it is all right for Georgia to use foreign aid for aggressive purposes against its neighbors, but not for the geographically largest nation in the world to modernize its outdated navy.  

The Georgian minister goes on to claim that Russia is already occupying 20% of the territory of Georgia.  A casual reader is left with the false impression that the Russian Federation has absorbed provinces of unwilling Georgians.  Mr. Vashadze conveniently does not mention the following:

1) Georgia attacked Abkhazia in 1992, despite the fact that Abkhazia did not declare independence from the Republic of Georgia until years later.  

2) Russia mediated the conflict and, with U.N. approval, was appointed peacekeeper in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, keeping about 1,500 peacekeeping troops in the region and assuring a demilitarized zone between the parties.

3) Russia agreed to help Georgia modernize its army and also attempted to get South Ossetia and Abkhazia to agree to a federative structure within Georgia.  Abkhazia and South Ossetia refused, fearing Georgian hostility and ethnic cleansing.

4) Abkhazia did not declare its independence from the Republic of Georgia until 1999.

5) After years of threats, Georgia attacked South Ossetia in August 2008 as the Olympic Games in Beijing opened.  An E. U. commission report in September of 2009 blamed Georgia for attacking without provocation. 

6) Russian recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia did not come until after the 2008 conflict, 15 years after the original Georgian invasion.

Russia's role in the region has been first as mediator of the conflict and then to maintain the peace. Finally, after years of Georgia's threats and its attack on South Ossetia, Russia has offered to protect the two nations from Georgian aggression.  In August of 2009, Russia promised $500 million for the security and infrastructure of Abkhazia. This move should be applauded because it is clear that Georgia represents a threat to the safety of the citizens of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  

Also, Mr. Vashadze does not mention that Georgia has repeatedly threatened commercial shipping bound for Abkhazia and that it has seized several Turkish merchant ships.  In August of this year, Georgia sentenced the captain of a seized Turkish vessel to 24 years in prison. Only a trip to Tbilisi by Turkey's foreign minister secured his release.  If the Mistral is bought by Russia and if it is deployed in the Black Sea region, a likely use would be to protect peaceful commercial shipping vessels from Georgian seizure.  I cannot help but wonder if this is what really is bothering the Georgian government.  

Russia is not "occupying" parts of Georgia, but protecting two nations that have no interest in being absorbed by a hostile Georgia.  If Russia truly wanted to absorb Georgia it would have happened years ago. Georgia is attempting to use propaganda to distort Russia's rule in keeping the peace in the Caucasus.

I am quite familiar with the Caucasus region and I know Abkhazia well. Neither Abkhazians nor South Ossetians regard themselves as Georgians.  Both have their own languages, cultures and customs that predate Georgian occupation and integration during the Soviet period. If Russia were to disappear from the scene, Georgia would still be regarded as a hostile and threatening neighbor.  Judging by its actions and rhetoric, Georgia would quickly attack and attempt to occupy both Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  Both nations would resist and there would be a bloody conflict. Russia is not an occupier, but a protector of the two nations from Georgian aggression.