Topic: Situation in Georgia
Country: Belarus
Delegate Name: Emily Bruinsma
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Belarus position papers GLIMUN 2008 committees
During the summer of 2008 a border dispute between Russia and Georgia finally erupted into an armed conflict. The area of South Ossetia has many existing ties to Russia such as dual passports of its citizens. Russia feels that the citizens should be able to choose if they would like to be a part of the Russian federation. South Ossetia, on the other hand, wants all its citizens to remain a part of their own country. Wanting to ethnically cleanse the area of South Ossetia, Russia invaded Georgia in August of 2008, with a total 295 casualties and 2234 wounded. Many people have been executed, women have been raped, and elderly people unable to flee the area have been taken as hostages, later to be returned as prisoners of war.
For the past months, tension between Eurasian countries has become increasingly visible. Due to said tension Belarus would like to remain impartial on the topic of the situation in Georgia. Yet, it is obvious that the Georgian government is to blame for the current situation. Georgia provoked the Russian government when they attached South Ossetia and Abkhazia, then forcing Russia to break their commitment to the OSCE by defending themselves. Thankfully during the month of August, Russia pulled out of Georgia, because a war could have emerged from the situation. With that Belarus would like to reiterate that they would like to remain impartial on the whole situation, but are willing to help find a resolution to the problem if both Russia and Georgia are willing to.
