YouSaid · the spoken record

Irakli Menagarishvili

lines on the record

108

first

1996-09-24

most recent

2003-09-24

sittings or episodes

6

sources

un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

1. “Secondly, it is necessary to introduce and enforce economic measures. One might respond that the practical implementation of economic sanctions already exists. However, these should be binding in nature and their enforcement fall under the strict control of the international community; moreover, there must be follow- up implementation of sanctions against violators, if necessary. At the same time, in order to eliminate economic incentives for armed hostilities, we should provide economic assistance and other means of support to regions where separatist tendencies are growing in strength. Thirdly, we must consider measures of a military- political character, such as the imposition of arms embargoes against those regions where separatism takes on aggressive forms.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

2. “The first resolution of the Security Council on the conflict in Abkhazia was adopted on 9 July 1993; the most recent, on 12 July 1996. Comparing them, we can see that it took three years to call something by its proper name: to call an aggressor an aggressor, a criminal a criminal and a victim a victim. It is obvious that we need a doctrine to contain aggressive separatism. This should include a number of measures directed at revealing the underlying causes and at preventing and overcoming any manifestation of extremist separatist tendencies. We consider it necessary, first, to define the phenomenon of separatism in terms of international law and, to that end, to establish a corresponding juridical and legal basis, namely, a well-defined system to identify and categorize aggressive separatism in international legal documents.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

3. “Thousands more have been shot, burned, hanged or tortured to death. Furthermore, the persecution of the Georgian population on the basis of ethnic origin was raised by the separatist regime to the level of state policy. This is a most serious crime against humanity. Analogous manifestations of aggressive separatism are taking place in other parts of the world. Consequently, the stream of refugees increases constantly, and this process has acquired the form of a powerful new global factor fraught with unpredictable social and economic consequences. We believe we need more fully developed measures in order to oppose it effectively. What can we do about this? As a rule, the response of the world community to separatism as a phenomenon is nearly always late and consequently inadequate to existing conditions.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

4. “Yet it is unacceptable for the principle of self-determination to be exploited by national minorities or small nations that have historically constituted a single society with other nations, within the framework of sovereign States that today are Members of the United Nations. There is good reason for us to have singled out the problem of aggressive separatism, as we consider it to be the main threat to international peace and security at this stage. Georgia has made enormous efforts to introduce the notion of aggressive separatism into the agenda of the world. Aggressive separatism uses “ethnic cleansing” as the main tool of vengeance against other nations and ethnic groups. Here I must bring up the example of Abkhazia: 300,000 peaceful Georgian citizens have been expelled from the territory of Abkhazia.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

5. “Despite differences in the underlying reasons for the emergence of separatist movements, in their nature and in their scale they have one thing in common: they establish regimes on the ideological basis of terrorism under the banner of “the self-determination of suppressed people”. We are certain that everyone present in this Hall considers the principle of self-determination for nations and peoples one of the most important basic principles of international law. Contemporary international law has established a clear framework for the implementation of this principle.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

6. “Today I would like to draw the Assembly’s attention to the phenomenon that has become the main obstacle in Georgia’s path to recovery: aggressive separatism, which can completely nullify the beginnings of peace and stability not only in Georgia, but in the entire region. Aggressive separatism is not a new phenomenon, but it has only recently come to the attention of the world 15 community, due to its global nature and its destructive impact on international security. I can say with certainty that the world community has no right to take the position of an outside observer on this question, because countries and entire regions are subjected to separatism, regardless of their geographic location and level of development.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

7. “Over the past two years, democratic institutions have been established, economic stability has been achieved, a national currency has been introduced, the process of privatization is being completed and favourable conditions for foreign investment are being created. The presidential and parliamentary elections held last year confirmed the strong determination of the Georgian people to continue on the path of democratic development. All this has been done in order to further the gradual integration of Georgia, and indeed the whole of Transcaucasia, into the international economic system. Georgia has had to overcome a number of obstacles on this course, both subjective and objective in nature.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)

8. “Allow me at the outset to warmly congratulate the President on his election to his post at the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. I am deeply honoured to speak from this rostrum for the first time, and would like to take this opportunity to thank all our friends in the world community for the valuable assistance given to us in the construction of a new, democratic Georgia. In recent years, Georgia has undergone every possible trial in the transition from the old and obsolete to the new and progressive. Overcoming the totalitarian past has been very painful, demanding many sacrifices. In conditions of post-communist chaos, ongoing ethno- political conflicts and a precipitous decline in the economy, Georgia has managed, with the help of the international community, to stabilize the situation.”

   1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)