H. Res. 1166 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
May 7, 2008. 
Whereas, since 1993, the territorial integrity of the Republic 
of Georgia has been reaffirmed by the international com-
munity, international law, and 32 United Nations Secu-
rity Council resolutions; 
Whereas the Government of the Republic of Georgia has pur-
sued in good faith a peaceful resolution of territorial con-
flicts in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia since 
the end of hostilities in 1993; 
Whereas, on March 28, 2008, and on April 12, 2008, Geor-
gian President Mikheil Saakashvili introduced new and 
far-reaching peace proposals to resolve the territorial con-
flict in Abkhazia, including international guarantees of 
Abkhaz autonomy, broad political representation for the 
Abkhaz, the right to veto legislation related to the con-
stitutional status of Abkhazia as well as its language and 
culture, the establishment of a joint Free Economic Zone 
in the Gali region, and an offer for more active involve-
ment by the international community and Russian Fed-
eration to help forge a peaceful resolution to the conflict; 
Whereas, for several years, the Government of the Russian 
Federation has carried out policies that seek to under-
mine the sovereignty of the Republic of Georgia in 
Abkhazia and South Ossetia by awarding individuals in
•HRES 1166 EH 
these regions with Russian citizenship, Russian pass-
ports, economic subsidies, and the right to vote in Rus-
sian elections; 
Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation has also 
detailed Russian officials to take up positions in the sepa-
ratist governments, provided military equipment and sup-
port to separatists in the regions, and encouraged Rus-
sian volunteers to serve in militias in Abkhazia and South 
Ossetia; 
Whereas the announcement from the Government of the Rus-
sian Federation on April 16, 2008, that it will establish 
‘‘official ties’’ with the regions of Abkhazia and South 
Ossetia, recognize their official documents and legal enti-
ties, and further involve itself in aspects of their govern-
ments appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at annex-
ation; 
Whereas, on April 20, 2008, tensions between the Russian 
Federation and the Republic of Georgia further escalated 
when an unarmed and unmanned Georgian reconnais-
sance aircraft was shot down over Georgian territory, re-
portedly by a Russian MIG–29 fighter jet; 
Whereas Russian officials have denied any involvement in the 
downing of the reconnaissance plane, claiming that 
Abkhazian rebels were responsible for the incident, al-
though neither Georgia nor Abkhazian defense forces 
have MIG–29 fighter jets; 
Whereas the statements and counter-productive actions of the 
Government of the Russian Federation in these regions 
has undermined the peace and security in Abkhazia and 
South Ossetia, the Republic of Georgia, and the 
Caucasus region as a whole;
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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 with 
its commitments to international peacekeeping made to 
the United Nations Security Council and the Organiza-
tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe; and 
Whereas, on April 23, 2008, Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice stated that ‘‘the United States is firmly committed 
to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, 
that we support Georgia’s efforts to make certain that 
the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia feel fully a 
part of Georgia, and that we are very concerned at the 
recent move by the Russian Federation, the presidential 
decree that was issued’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns recent decisions made by the Govern-
ment of the Russian Federation to establish ‘‘official 
ties’’ with the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a 
process that further impedes reconciliation between those 
regions and the Government of the Republic of Georgia 
and that violates the sovereignty of the Republic of 
Georgia and the commitments of the Government of the 
Russian Federation to international peacekeeping; 
(2) calls upon the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration to immediately revoke its decision to establish 
‘‘official ties’’ with the regions of Abkhazia and South 
Ossetia;
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(3) strongly supports the restoration of the terri-
torial integrity of the Republic of Georgia and a peaceful 
resolution of the conflicts within Georgia’s internation-
ally recognized borders; 
(4) encourages the Government of the Russian Fed-
eration to work with the Government of Georgia, the 
peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the inter-
national community to find a peaceful solution to the 
conflict; 
(5) welcomes the measured reaction of the Govern-
ment of the Republic of Georgia to recent developments 
and commends President Saakashvili’s latest initiatives 
to resolve territorial conflicts through peaceful means; 
(6) calls on United Nations Secretary-General Ban 
Ki-moon to conduct an investigation of the April 20, 
2008, incident in which an unarmed Georgian reconnais-
sance aircraft was shot down by what reports indicate 
was a missile launched from a Russian MIG–29 fighter 
jet; 
(7) urges all parties to the conflicts in the Republic 
of Georgia and governments around the world to eschew 
rhetoric and actions that escalate tensions and under-
mine efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the 
conflicts; and
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(8) supports the declaration of the North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Bucharest Summit in 
Romania, which stated that the Republic of Georgia will 
become a member of NATO, reiterates its support for 
the commitment to further enlargement of NATO to in-
clude democratic governments that are able and willing 
to meet the responsibilities of membership, and urges 
the foreign ministers of NATO member states at their 
meeting in December 2008 to consider favorably the ap-
plication of the Government of the Republic of Georgia’s 
Membership Action Plan. 
Attest: 
Clerk.