MINELRES: Fwd: Russian MFA on Georgia's policy towards return of Meskhetians

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Sam Dogan <falcon08723@yahoo.com>


GEORGIA WON'T PUT UP WITH DEPORTED MESKHETI TURKS' RETURN

MOSCOW, March 11 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia is shrugging off its pledges in
Meskheti Turks' respect, points out Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
press and information department. 

"Georgia is ignoring its obligations and international legal norms to
breed ungrounded problems for several thousand people who have every
right to return to their native land," the department says in a
commentary on mass media information about the ethnic minority's plight. 

Certain Russian-based media outlets have resumed coverage of that
problem, which remains topical for decades. Meskheti Turks were deported
to Soviet Central Asia from Georgia, 1944. They have settled for a time
in the Krasnodar Territory on Russia's Black Sea coast, and are anxious
to get back to their ancestral land. 

"We can only regret that ignorance of history leads, all too often, to a
misunderstanding of current issues. 

"As we know, when Georgia was joining the Council of Europe, in 1999, it
made an international legal pledge to admit Meskheti Turks to its
territory. However, Tbilisi does not care even to demonstrate any
serious determination to settle the issue," says the commentary. 

True, the Council of Europe is reminding Georgia of the problem, yet it
makes do with friendly coaxing while the situation demands concerted
efforts to make Georgia comply with its pledges. More than that, CE
rules envisage sanctions in similar instances, points out the Foreign
Ministry. 

"Fruitless debates have been on in Tbilisi for six years now round a
framework repatriation law to be adopted. The law ought to envisage the
practical arrangements and time limits of Meskheti Turks' return. No
progress whatever has been made for today," warns the ministry.

http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=5458708&startrow=1&date=2005-03-11&do_alert=0

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