Russia says OSCE prestige undermined by Georgia war stance.

VIENNA, July 31 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian ambassador to the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said on Thursday the
OSCE undermined its prestige by incorrect assessments of the Georgian
invasion of South Ossetia last August and subsequent Russian retaliation.

Anvar Azimov said OSCE position regarding Georgia and NATO air raids
on Yugoslavia to separate Kosovo from Serbia "evidently demonstrated the
weakness and inefficiency of the OSCE in preventing and settling conflicts
and crisis situations."
"It is extremely necessary to objectively analyze the situation and
make unbiased conclusions from the tragedy of South Ossetia," the
ambassador told OSCE Permanent Council on the eve of the first anniversary
of the hostilities.
"The OSCE has to begin restoring its damaged prestige by promoting
guaranteed prevention of future Georgian military operations against
neighbors. The first step in the direction shall be the signing of
agreements on the non-use of force between Georgia and South Ossetia and
also with Abkhazia as the basis for normalization of relations between
Tbilisi and Tskhinval, as well as Sukhum and for enhancing stability and
security in TransCaucasia in general," Azimov said.
"The OSCE can and shall render practical assistance in drafting and
adopting such agreements," he said.
The ambassador recalled Georgia was the first to use armed force
against sleeping Tskhinval and Russian peacekeepers in an attempt to
retake de-facto independent South Ossetia.
It was on orders of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili that his
armed forces used salvo fire Grad weapons, heavy artillery and tanks
against South Ossetia on August 8, 2008, he said.
"On Saakashvili orders Georgian servicemen from the joint peacekeeping
force opened fire at their Russian colleagues. It was the first
unprecedented case in peacekeeping history when soldiers from one unit
open fire to kill at their comrades-in-arms instead of fulfilling their
direct mandate and jointly ensure peace and tranquility in the zone of
responsibility," Azimov said.
"Paradoxically, neither the OSCE, nor its closed field mission in
Georgia, nor our partners have given any principled assessment of Georgian
military actions," the ambassador said.
Azimov said Russia had to interfere to save South Ossetians from
extermination and later made "a difficult but irreversible" decision to
recognize the independence of South Ossetia. It also recognized the
independence of Abkhazia to prevent planned Georgian intrusion into the
breakaway region.
"The operation to compel Georgia to peace and the recognition of the
independence of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia
were the only possible ways in the critical situation to reliably protect
the lives and dignity of the people living there and to prevent a
repetition of the Georgian aggression," the ambassador said.
"Last August we did not think about instantaneous political benefits,
we did not try to build up anti-Georgian blocs and coalitions, but we
abided by supreme humanitarian considerations of saving the lives of
ordinary South Ossetians from complete extermination by the Saakashvili
regime," Azimov said.
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