Dear editor,

I have to address you in connection with the publication of the article of Nikoloz Apkhazava, Georgian ambassador to Korea, in your daily on May 26-27, 2012, which may mislead your audience on some matters, concerning tragic events in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August, 2008.

In connection with this I would like to set forth the internationally recognized Russian position that it was the Saakashvili regime who broke the peace and started extermination of South Ossetia people with inhumane types of weapons including cluster munitions, volley-fire systems, and 500-kilogram bombs.

As a result hundreds of peaceful inhabitants of Tskhinval and neighboring settlements, many of whom are Russian citizens, and dozens of Russian peacekeepers have been killed while the number of wounded and injured is immeasurably greater.

The enormous number of human casualties and the appearance of thousands of refugees attest to the fact that this was neither a mistake nor a fortuity but pre-mediated criminal actions. The trophy documents of the Georgian army, including the notorious “Clean Field Plan,” unequivocally testify this.

Russian actions that time aimed at protecting lives and security of our citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia who were treacherously attacked by Georgian army at night cannot be called “aggression.” Russia used the force in line with the international law to stop Georgian aggression and prevent genocide of South Ossetinians.

Despite the failure of the August adventure, the authorities in Tbilisi apparently do not give up plans for a forcible restoration of the “integrity of Georgia.” Therefore we insist that legal obligations not to use force must be unconditionally assumed by Georgia toward the neighboring republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Only in this way can Tbilisi restore at least a minimum of trust toward itself on the part of the international community.