Atlantic Council

Four months after the hot phase of Russia’s war on Georgia, Russia continues to violate the European Union-brokered ceasefire agreements of August 12 and September 8.  Notwithstanding, the EU on December 2 resumed Partnership and Cooperation Agreement talks with Russia, which it had suspended September 1 in the wake of Russia’s August assault on Georgia. 

The OSCE's mission in Georgia, which opened in 1992, is coming to a close.  Veronika Oleksyn for AP: OSCE chair Finland called a meeting Monday morning to seek a three-month extension to the mandate, which expires on Dec. 31, to allow time for more negotiations on the mission's future. It had been the topic of behind-the-scenes discussions for some time.  "Unfortunately, there was no consensus on this decision," said Antti Turunen, Finland's ambassador to the OSCE, after the closed-door gathering.

Amnesty International is to release a 76-page report today on the conflict in South Ossetia, accusing Georgia and Russia of war crimes during the short war that began on 7 August. New witness accounts have have undermined Georgia's portrayal of the war as a purely defensive operation. The Independent reports:

The Amnesty report specifically accuses Georgian forces of having committed "indiscriminate attacks" on 7 August "causing deaths and injuries among South Ossetian civilians and considerable damage to civilian objects". It says: "Serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed by all sides."

Ryan Grist, the head of the international monitoring group during the conflict, told The Independent that when the war started the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali "did still contain women and children" who should have been protected from the conflict which had built up over months.

Meanwhile, Georgian envoy, Temuri Yakobashvili, was dispatched to London in order to bolster Georgia's case in face of waning public opinion in Britain and the U.S. He told the Independent that while Georgia had cooperated with Amnesty, his government would demand to see "proof" before commenting on the war crimes allegations:

He strongly denied that Georgian credibility had been undermined by the commander of Georgian peacekeepers in South Ossetia, who publicly stated that the order to attack Tskhinvali had been given to "restore constitutional order". The officer, Mamuka Kurash-vili, has been fired, although Mr Yakobashvili said his sacking was a separate matter. "The President never said anything like 'Liberate South Ossetia, restore territorial integrity'," Mr Yakobashvili said.

The Amnesty report does recognize the complexities of the conflict, however:

Amnesty suggests "there was deliberate misinformation and exaggerated reports during the conflict, and particularly in its early stages". Russia, for example, accused Georgia of "genocide" on 9 August when the Kremlin said that 2,000 civilians had been killed. On 12 October, the Russians revised the death toll to 159.

Furthermore, lootings and kidnappings along Georgia's de facto border with separatist South Ossetia are stopping more than 20,000 people from returning home, according to Amnesty. The report comes ahead of an EU announcement, which sets out a plan for the first international investigation of the conflict. The Atlantic Council's own report on post-conflict Georgia can be found here:

Atlantic Council Report: Post-Conflict Georgia

Russia and Abkhazia are in talks on establishing a permanent Russian naval presence in Ochamchira, a seaside town in the separatist Georgian republic, the Abkhazian foreign minister told RIA Novosti. "This [Ochamchira] is a very comfortable place for basing naval forces. We have spoken about it on many occasions and if Russia makes a relevant decision we will be definitely interested in it. The talks on the issue are underway," Minister Sergei Shamba said.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet uses a range of naval facilities in Ukraine's Crimea as part of a 1997 agreement, under which Ukraine agreed to lease the bases to Russia until 2017. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko announced in the summer that Ukraine would not extend the lease of the base in the Crimean city of Sevastopol beyond 2017, and urged the Russian fleet to start preparations for a withdrawal.

The Kremlin wants the number of EU ceasefire monitors in Georgia increased, RFE/RL reports.  Under the French-brokered peace agreement, the EU presently has 225 unarmed observers and around 75 supporting staff deployed in Georgia.

However, Russia will not allow them into the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, so the purpose of further monitors within Georgia proper remains unclear.  More about the monitors (lack of) access to Georgia's conflict zones at the New Atlanticist.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has dismissed evidence obtained by the BBC that suggests Georgia committed war crimes during their attack on South Ossetia. The evidence suggests Georgia used indiscriminate force, and may have targeted civilians. Witnesses said tanks had fired on an apartment block, and civilians were shot at as they fled the fighting. The BBC recently undertook the first unrestricted visit to South Ossetia by a foreign news organization since the conflict.

British Foreign Secretary David Milliband has raised the issue with the Georgian government. "On my visit to Tbilisi of course I raised at the highest level in Georgia, the questions that have been asked and raised about war crimes and other military actions by the Georgian authorities," said Milliband. President Saakashvili replied: "We strongly deny... accusation of war crimes - but of course, we are very open for any kind of comments, we are very open for any kind of investigation."

Mr Miliband - normally a strong supporter of Georgia - told the BBC: "I think the Georgian action was reckless, I think the Russian response was disproportionate and wrong."

The breakaway region of Abkhazia accused European Union monitors of ignoring "armed provocations" by Georgia along its boundaries, reports the International Herald Tribune. The accusation was made one day after a Georgian district governor and a villager were killed by what the Georgian police said were mortars fired from the Abkhaz side in the boundary zone. On Sunday, Abkhazia accused Georgia of firing at a border checkpoint, saying one of its border guards had been wounded.

"The heightened activity of Georgian subversive groups in Abkhazia, these frequent shootings and killings, are a consequence of the absence of Russian peacekeepers in the conflict zone and the inaction of EU monitors," Russia's RIA news agency quoted an unidentified senior Abkhaz security official as saying.

A 225-soldier EU mission is monitoring the cease-fire in both de facto border zones.

There has been a good deal of  talk about the Kosovo precedent in discussions about what to do next with regard to Georgia, Russia and the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

It was no surprise that that international discussions on the security and stability arrangements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke down on October 15.

According to Deutsche Welle, peace talks between Russia and Georgia scheduled for Wednesday in Geneva will now be downgraded to several "technical meetings."

Russian officials declared that they would not go to the talks unless representatives of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia were also permitted to attend.  Moscow recognizes the two regions as independent states.  However, Georgia said it would not allow this to happen.  Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze stated, "Representatives from Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia will not take part in negotiations in Geneva."

Despite strained relations with Russia, the U.S. decided it would also attend the talks, which will follow a meeting of the EU, the UN, and OSCE.