Press Release
U.S. Department of State Reiterates h3 Support for Georgian Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity
December 1, 2000
Tbilisi – The U.S. Department of State is concerned about the factual inaccuracies contained in an article by Vladimir Kulikov entitled "Bandit Refuge" published in the November 29 Rossiyskaya Gazeta. We are concerned in particular by the writer’s conclusion – carried in an official Russian news source -- that the situation in Georgia somehow demands foreign intervention.
The United States strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, and rejects foreign intervention in Georgia. President Putin pledged on December 11, 1999, that "Russia will not cross the border of a sovereign state, not even if part of the bandits escape into Georgia." The Rossiyskaya Gazeta article appears to contradict President Putin’s pledge.
It also contradicts pledges that Russia has made under OSCE auspices regarding respect for the territorial integrity of participating states. If Russia has concerns, it has the option of discussing these issues through political channels under OSCE auspices.
In terms of preventative measures, the U.S. and its partners are working hard to develop the capabilities of the Georgian Border Guard. Under the longstanding U.S. Border Security and Law Enforcement Program, the United States will contribute USD 18 million this year toward this effort, and the EU recently contributed a million euros in equipment to the Georgian Border Guard.
We note that the OSCE Border Observation Mission on the Georgian-Russian border with Chechnya – which Russia supports and which includes Russian personnel – has reported no such large-scale Chechen presence in Georgia.
We also feel that the characterization of the Pankisi Gorge as a "border zone" is misleading. The area is 60 km from the Russian border and is separated from it by high mountain ranges.