III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 550 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding provocative and dangerous 

statements made by the Government of the Russian Federation that 

undermine the territorial integrity of the Republic of Georgia. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 2, 2008 

Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. KERRY, Mr. CASEY, 

Mr. SMITH, and Mr. LIEBERMAN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

MAY 20, 2008 

Reported by Mr. BIDEN, without amendment 

JUNE 3, 2008 

Considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding provocative 

and dangerous statements made by the Government of 

the Russian Federation that undermine the territorial 

integrity of the Republic of Georgia. 

Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of the Republic 

of Georgia has been reaffirmed by the international community and 32 United Nations Security Council resolutions; 

Whereas the Government of the Republic of Georgia has pursued with good faith the peaceful resolution of territorial 


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conflicts in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia 

since the end of hostilities in 1993; 

Whereas President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has offered 

a clear plan for resolving the conflict in Abkhazia and securing legitimate interests of the Abkhaz and South 

Ossetian people within a unified Georgia; 

Whereas, for several years, the Government of Russia has engaged in an ongoing process of usurping the sovereignty 

of Georgia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia by awarding 

subsidies, the right to vote in elections in Russia, and 

Russian passports to people living in those regions; 

Whereas the announcement of the Government of the Russian Federation that it will establish ‘‘official ties’’ with 

the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia 

and further involve itself in aspects of their government 

appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at annexation; 

Whereas the statements and counter-productive behavior of 

the Government of the Russian Federation in these regions has undermined the peace and security of those regions, the Republic of Georgia, and the region as a whole; 

and 

Whereas the consistent effort to undermine the sovereignty of 

a neighbor is incompatible with the role of the Russian 

Federation as one of the world’s leading powers and is 

inconsistent with the commitments to international peacekeeping made by the Government of the Russian Federation: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns recent decisions made by the 

3 Government of the Russian Federation to establish 


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1 ‘‘official ties’’ with the breakaway regions of 

2 Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a process that further 

3 impedes reconciliation between those regions and the 

4 Government of Georgia and violates the sovereignty 

5 of the Republic of Georgia and the commitments of 

6 the Government of the Russian Federation to inter7 national peacekeeping; 

8 (2) calls upon the Government of the Russian 

9 Federation to disavow this policy, which gives the 

10 appearance of being motivated by an appetite for an11 nexation; 

12 (3) affirms that the restoration of the territorial 

13 integrity of the Republic of Georgia is in the interest 

14 of all who seek peace and stability in the region; 

15 (4) urges all parties to the conflicts in the Re16 public of Georgia and governments around the world 

17 to eschew rhetoric that escalates tensions and under18 mines efforts to negotiate a settlement to the con19 flicts; and 

20 (5) commends the Government of Georgia for 

21 acting with restraint in the face of serious provo22 cation. 

Æ 


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