Georgia, 2001

Let me congratulate

you, Sir, on your election to the demanding job of the

presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth

session. It is a fitting recognition of Korea’s role in the

international community and of your extensive

experience and able leadership.

I would also like to extend our congratulations to

Mr. Kofi Annan and the United Nations for the much

deserved award of the Nobel Peace Prize. It should

serve as an added source of inspiration for him in his

second term as Secretary-General and for all of us here.

The fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly

runs parallel to dramatic events for the development of

mankind. On behalf of the Government and the people

of Georgia, I wish once again to express my sincere

condolences and compassion to the American people

for the tragic events of 11 September.

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Ominous threats we had been talking about for so

long have become real. Georgia, a country that over the

past decade has suffered terribly from different

manifestations of terrorism, is an active participant in

the campaign against terror. The time is ripe for

increased cooperation from all States and peoples of

good will in this fight against terror.

I am referring not only to cooperation in the

military field. Overcoming this evil requires close

cooperation in development, the protection of human

rights, eradicating poverty and in many other fields.

Today’s realities are a lesson to mankind on the

consequences and cost of indifference and a lack of

attention to what is happening all around the world.

The United Nations is certainly a unique

Organization, where we, the Member States, can shape

common strategies to combat many of the ills and

problems of the day. These strategies and action plans

are worked into various United Nations resolutions,

decisions and declarations.

The United Nations Millennium Declaration is a

great achievement in this regard. It is virtually a pledge

on the part of nations to a common fight against the

manifold challenges we face today. Without any further

delay, Georgia, its people and all the peoples of the

world need a clear demonstration of readiness to

implement the commitments made in the Declaration.

We are hopeful that the report of the Secretary-General,

entitled “Road map towards the implementation of the

United Nations Millennium Declaration” (A/56/326).

will become a guide for Governments around the

world.

Strengthening the capacity of the United Nations

in the area of conflict settlement is crucial to the

creation of a new world order based on common values

and principles. The world order of the twenty-first

century is clearly incompatible with the widespread

violations of human rights, and this could lead to a

destabilization of the international system.

The reforms should also encompass United

Nations peacekeeping operations. Georgia supports the

measures to enhance the effectiveness of United

Nations preventive mechanisms. In the same context,

the early deployment of peacekeeping contingents

should be more coherent and systematic in order to

quell conflicts in their early stages. The launching of a

peacekeeping operation or a change in its mandate

requires the consent of all sides involved. We are

inclined to think that this approach requires revision.

The cause of peace should rank as a higher priority for

the United Nations than the consent of any side

involved in the conflict.

In the words of the Secretary-General,

“the international community must remain

prepared to engage politically, and if necessary

militarily, to contain menace and ultimately

resolve conflicts that have got out of hand. This

will require a better functioning of the collective

security system than exists at the moment. It will

require, above all, a greater willingness to

intervene to prevent gross violations of human

rights.”

Internal conflicts spawned by separatism are no

less dangerous to international security than the

confrontations of the cold-war period or conflicts of

international character. The reformed United Nations

must be more concrete and decisive in terms of

employing the compulsory measures provided for in

Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

Georgia fully shares the view that there is a need

to improve the United Nations rapid response system.

We support the timely creation of a United Nations

rapid deployment force, whose utilization in the early

stage of peacekeeping operations would contribute to

the prevention of many conflicts.

I would like in particular to note the work of the

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and

other structures under the United Nations umbrella in

Georgia. Their assistance is many-faceted, and these

structures in particular are making a great contribution

to the process of Georgia’s democratic transformation.

However, a new agenda for cooperation is also

required.

I wish to underscore the joint initiative of the

United Nations and the International Monetary Fund

with regard to creating a programme for the eradication

of poverty. Georgia is one of the most active

participants in this programme. An interesting part of

its effort is the elaboration of a programme of

employing internally displaced persons in small

businesses. All of these processes are taking place

under very difficult conditions and in an environment

of numerous problems.

Over the past two years the perspectives of rapid

development in Georgia have been countered by the

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absence of progress in the peace process in Abkhazia,

Georgia. It is time to put an end to the spiritual and

physical suffering of the people of Georgian, Abkhaz

and other nationalities who have been forced from their

homes and lands by the tragedy of war. Most

importantly, we cannot instil hatred and enmity in the

coming generations. The value of peace in the region is

too high to be sacrificed to the political and

commercial ambitions of a single group.

The time has come to react duly to the ethnic

cleansing carried out in Abkhazia, Georgia. The

separatists, with the help of outside forces, expelled

about 300,000 people from their places of residence.

The inalienable right of people to live in their

homeland is still being flagrantly trampled.

On numerous occasions Georgia has expressed its

deep concern about the presence of uncontrolled

regions within the territories of the sovereign State,

ruled by de facto separatist regimes. The

encouragement of these regimes is totally unacceptable

and fraught with dangerous consequences. The tragic

downing of a United Nations helicopter over Abkhazia,

Georgia, is one such heartbreaking example. I wish to

take this opportunity to once again express our deep

condolences to the families of the victims, who paid

the ultimate price for upholding the noble principles of

the United Nations.

I would like to use this important rostrum to bring

to the Assembly’s attention the danger of large-scale

provocation that Georgia is facing today. I am referring

to the violation of Georgia’s airspace and the bombing

of our territory. Such attacks have taken place before as

well, but, despite our protests, no adequate reaction

was forthcoming. Georgia views these acts as an

infringement of our sovereignty and an attempt by

some forces to subvert the peace process.

All of this is taking place at a time when the

United States, together with the international

community, is mobilized against the most evil enemy

of humankind: international terrorism. Georgia clearly

visualizes its place in this fight, and President

Shevardnadze has repeatedly expressed readiness for

cooperation. But it is unacceptable that some States use

this noble cause of fighting terrorism as a disguise in

order to reassert influence in the post-Soviet context.

The Government of Georgia reiterates its

commitment to the peaceful settlement of the conflict

in Abkhazia, Georgia. We believe that the use of force

runs contrary to our political interests, in particular the

interests of our multi-ethnic population, including the

Abkhazians. At the same time, it is becoming

increasingly difficult for the Government of Georgia to

dissuade those people who have lost their faith in a

peaceful resolution of the conflict from using other

means.

We are offering a special programme for

resolving the conflict in Abkhazia, Georgia, to all our

political partners, the Security Council and the

European bodies. This programme has to be

implemented without delay, notwithstanding changes it

may undergo or substantial concessions it may require

from the parties involved in order to reach agreement

and to put the programme into action.

For two years the document on the distribution of

constitutional competencies between Tbilisi and

Sukhumi, drafted by the Special Representative of the

Secretary-General, has been kept within the confines of

the Group of Friends of the Secretary-General on

Georgia. This document has to constitute the basis for

meaningful negotiations on the scope of autonomy for

Abkhazia.

The Government of Georgia is ready to grant

Abkhazia the widest form of autonomy practised

around the world today. Considerable international

support is needed to restore confidence between the

parties, as indicated in the Declaration of the Yalta

meeting that took place with the assistance of brotherly

Ukraine.

Let me stress again that we attach great

importance, and we are anxious to begin discussing,

the economic rehabilitation strategy for the region. We

also look forward to carrying out projects beneficial to

all and to preserving the unique Abkhaz people.

We need working relations with Russia that are

both cordial and at the same time equitable. Russia is a

country with which we have cultural and friendly ties

that are centuries old. We can only value its special

role as the regional leader, member of the international

anti-terrorist coalition, permanent member of the

Security Council and the facilitator of the peace

process in Abkhazia, Georgia. We expect that all this

will be utilized in the best interests of all the people of

Georgia. The continuation of misunderstanding and

confrontation is unacceptable.

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We must exert every effort to put an end to the

use of separatist regimes by certain countries as a way

of exerting pressure on neighbouring nations.

We support the dialogue among civilizations as a

means of achieving better understanding between all

the peoples of the world. We would be honoured to

host a forum dedicated to this issue. As a country on

the crossroads between Europe and Asia, Georgia, with

its ancient and multifaceted culture, is an appropriate

place for such a meeting.

In closing, let me stress again that it is dialogue

and cooperation that should determine the fate of

mankind. For that purpose we need a United Nations

with broad, coherent and determined capabilities.