Russia's Military agreements with S.Ossetia and Abkhazia

Moscow To Strengthen Abkhaz Borders, Russian Bases
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 12.08.2009 14:14

MOSCOW -- Russia says it will spend some $489 million to reinforce Abkhazia's borders and strengthen Russian military operations in the breakaway Georgian republic, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin added that some $76 million has been sent to Abkhazia this year to support the republic's budget.

Putin said Moscow will provide Abkhazia with the same amount next year as well and will also aid the Abkhaz government in making pension payments.

Putin made the announcement in Moscow ahead of his trip to Abkhazia today, his first since Russia recognized its independence in August 2008.

Abkhazia and the second breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia have been de facto independent states since winning conflicts against Georgian forces in the early 1990s.

"Putin's visit to the occupied territory of a sovereign country is yet another provocation carried out...in the tradition of the Soviet special services," Georgia's Foreign Ministry responded, according to Reuters.

Tbilisi said the trip was "yet another attempt to destabilize the situation and escalate tension in the Caucasus region."

Russian forces have a base in the Abkhaz city of Gudauta -- which is an old Soviet military base -- and are building facilities for a Russian base in the port city of Ochamchire.

Russia has 3,636 military soldiers deployed in Abkhazia and "a bit less" in South Ossetia, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told journalists on August 12.

Asked if Russia planned to boost its military presence in the two pro-Moscow separatist republics, Serdyukov replied: "Why have more [troops]? This is enough."

with Reuters

 

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Putin_Moscow_To_Strengthen_Abkhaz_Borders_Russian_Bases/1798249.html

Russian patrol boat starts mission off Abkhazia coast

MOSCOW, September 21 (RIA Novosti) - The first Russian patrol boat has arrived in Abkhazia to protect the maritime borders of the former Georgian republic which has been recognized by Russia as an independent state, the Vesti television reported.

The Novorossiysk vessel is part of a Russian coastal guard division which will be based at the Abkhazian port of Ochamchira. The division is expected to have up to 10 Sobol class and Mangust class patrol boats.

Georgia seized the Panama-flagged Buket tanker and its cargo of gasoline and diesel fuel for Abkhazia last month as it sailed from Turkey to the tiny republic on the Black Sea.

Tbilisi considers Abkhazia and its waters part of Georgian territory, and has declared any unauthorized maritime shipments of goods to be illegal.

In response, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said in early September that Abkhazia was ready to resort to force as President Sergei Bagapsh had given the order "to open fire on Georgian ships if they continue their acts of piracy."

Russia recognized Abkhazia and another former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August after a five-day war with Georgia over the latter, which was attacked by Tbilisi in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

Under mutual assistance treaties signed last November, Russia pledged to help Abkhazia and South Ossetia protect their borders, and the signatories granted each other the right to set up military bases in their respective territories.

Russia's Defense Ministry has said it plans to open a base in Gudauta, in the west of Abkhazia, and staff it with at least 1,500 personnel by the end of this year.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090921/156198231.html

Jelena wrote:

Russian patrol boat starts mission off Abkhazia coast

MOSCOW, September 21 (RIA Novosti) - The first Russian patrol boat has arrived in Abkhazia to protect the maritime borders of the former Georgian republic which has been recognized by Russia as an independent state, the Vesti television reported.

The Novorossiysk vessel is part of a Russian coastal guard division which will be based at the Abkhazian port of Ochamchira. The division is expected to have up to 10 Sobol class and Mangust class patrol boats.

Georgia seized the Panama-flagged Buket tanker and its cargo of gasoline and diesel fuel for Abkhazia last month as it sailed from Turkey to the tiny republic on the Black Sea.

Tbilisi considers Abkhazia and its waters part of Georgian territory, and has declared any unauthorized maritime shipments of goods to be illegal.

In response, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba said in early September that Abkhazia was ready to resort to force as President Sergei Bagapsh had given the order "to open fire on Georgian ships if they continue their acts of piracy."

Russia recognized Abkhazia and another former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August after a five-day war with Georgia over the latter, which was attacked by Tbilisi in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

Under mutual assistance treaties signed last November, Russia pledged to help Abkhazia and South Ossetia protect their borders, and the signatories granted each other the right to set up military bases in their respective territories.

Russia's Defense Ministry has said it plans to open a base in Gudauta, in the west of Abkhazia, and staff it with at least 1,500 personnel by the end of this year.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090921/156198231.html

Jelena, I this goes in the CIS section ... but otherwise I rejoice at Russia forfilling its commitment!

Abkhazian president to sign agreement on Russian military base

RIA Novosti

15/02/201018:59

SUKHUMI, February 15 (RIA Novosti) - Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh will sign an agreement on a Russian military base in Abkhazia during a visit to Moscow on February 16-18, the former Georgian republic's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

On April 30, 2009, Russia and Abkhazia signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation in the protection of Abkhazia's state borders. Russia guards over 350 kilometers of the tiny republic's borders.

Bagapsh was sworn in for a second term on February 12, 2010 after his victory in last December's elections. The polls were the first since Moscow recognized Abkhazia's independence in August 2008 after a brief conflict with Georgia over South Ossetia, another former Georgian republic.

Abkhazia has also been recognized by Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru, the world's smallest island nation.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/02/mil-100215-rianovosti02.htm

No plans to move Russian Black Sea fleet to Abkhazia - Bagapsh

RIA Novosti

18/02/201014:03

MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Abkhazia have not discussed the redeployment of Russia's Black Sea fleet warships from Ukraine's Crimea to the former Georgian republic, the Abkhazian leader said on Thursday.

Outgoing Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko announced in the summer of 2008 that Ukraine would not extend the lease of the Sevastopol base beyond 2017, and urged the Russian fleet to start preparations for a withdrawal.

Media reports have speculated in recent days that the fleet could be moved to Abkhazia.

"You probably heard an interview with Ukraine's president-elect [Viktor] Yanukovych. The treaty might be reviewed after 2017," Sergei Bagapsh said.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet uses a range of naval facilities in Ukraine's Crimea, including the main base in Sevastopol, as part of a 1997 agreement under which Ukraine agreed to lease the bases to Russia until 2017.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/russia/2010/russia-100218-rianovosti01.htm

Abkhazia signs deal with Kremlin on Russian base on its soil
RIA Novosti

17/02/201015:30

MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - The presidents of Abkhazia and Russia signed a deal on Wednesday allowing a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic for 50 years, despite fierce criticism from Tbilisi and Western nations.

The deal was signed during Kremlin talks between President Dmitry Medvedev and his Abkhazian counterpart, Sergei Bagapsh, who arrived in Moscow on Tuesday on the first visit since his reelection as president of the tiny region on the Black Sea.

According to the agreement, the base will "protect Abkhazia's sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups."

Russia has maintained a 1,700-strong force in Abkhazia with its headquarters in Gudauta, a former Soviet military base on the Black Sea coast north of the capital, Sukhumi, under a September 2009 agreement on military cooperation.

Moscow recognized the republic's independence in August 2008 after a five-day war to repel an assault by U.S. ally Georgia on another breakaway region, South Ossetia.

Previous reports said the new deal would allow Russia to build new infrastructure and double troop numbers in the event of a security threat.

Georgia has fiercely criticized the plans for the base in Abkhazia, which it considers part of its territory.

Russia's military buildup in the region since the armed conflict has also been condemned by the West as running counter to international law and contravening the internationally brokered ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia in the wake of their August 2008 conflict.

Speaking at a news conference after the talks, Medvedev said the base deal and a host of other agreements signed in the Kremlin were in line with Russia's international commitments.

"These documents are in full compliance with our vision of cooperation with Abkhazia and with our international obligations," Medvedev said.

"The main thing is that the agreements form a basis for Abkhazia's peaceful development as an independent state," he said.

Medvedev repeated he was not going to deal with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who he blamed for starting the war in 2008.

"We will restore normal relations with Georgia sooner or later. This is inevitable, but I personally will not deal with the current Georgian president. He is persona non grata to Russia," Medvedev said.

Bagapsh, who also discussed economic aid at talks with Medvedev, thanked Russia for support and pledged commitment to cooperation with Moscow.

"We realize that what you did in 2008 was a daring and wise move," said the Abkhazian president, who was inaugurated for a second term last week after his reelection on December 12.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/02/mil-100217-rianovosti03.htm

Border patrol is moving to Abkhazia. BSF isn't moving anywhere. The new sub base will be in Krasnodar with an overseas depot in Syria. Surface ships will remain in Sevastopol.

Russia to sign deal with South Ossetia on military base
RIA Novosti

09/03/201013:40

MOSCOW, March 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday instructed the Defense Ministry to hold talks with South Ossetia on signing an agreement on a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic.

A similar agreement was signed in Moscow on February 17 with Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic.

The agreement was concluded during Kremlin talks between President Medvedev and his Abkhazian counterpart, Sergei Bagapsh, who arrived in Moscow on his first visit since his reelection as president of the tiny region on the Black Sea.

According to the agreement, the base will "protect Abkhazia's sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups."

The agreement with Abkhazia was signed for a period of 49 years with the option of its extension by 15-year periods, despite fierce criticism from Tbilisi and Western nations.

Moscow recognized the independence of the two former Georgian republics in August 2008 after a five-day war to repel an assault by U.S. ally Georgia on South Ossetia.

Georgia has fiercely criticized the plans for the bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which it considers part of its territory.

Russia's military buildup in the region since the armed conflict has also been condemned by the West as running counter to international law and contravening the internationally brokered ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia in the wake of their August 2008 conflict.

However, Medvedev said after signing an agreement on the military base with Abkhazia that the deal and a host of other agreements signed in the Kremlin were in line with Russia's international commitments.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/03/mil-100309-rianovosti02.htm

Russia, S.Ossetia sign agreement on military base

RIA Novosti

07/04/201014:33

MOSCOW, April 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and South Ossetia have signed an agreement on establishing a permanent Russian military base in the former Georgian republic, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed between Serdyukov and his South Ossetian counterpart Yury Tanayev who is on a working visit to Moscow.

"From now on, the status of our military base is changing. With the signing of this agreement, Russia assumes full responsibility for the protection of South Ossetia," Serdyukov said.

The agreement is for a 49-year term and can automatically be extended at 15-year intervals, Serdyukov said.

A similar agreement was signed in Moscow on February 17 with Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic.

Russia recognized the independence of the former Georgian republics in August 2008 after repelling Georgia's assault on South Ossetia in a five-day war. Only Nicaragua, Venezuela and the tiny Pacific island state of Nauru have followed suit.

The Russian defense minister said the situation along the South Ossetia border with Georgia remained tense and the threat of the use of force by Georgia persisted.

The military bases are expected to be accommodated in Gudauta, Abkhazia, and in South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali. Each base is likely to host up to 1,700 servicemen, T-62 tanks, light armored vehicles, S-300 air defense systems and various aircraft.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed on Monday a law on ratifying treaties with the former Georgian republics on joint border protection. Under the deals, South Ossetia and Abkhazia delegate Russia the authority to secure their borders with Georgia.

Georgia has fiercely criticized the plans for the bases in its former republics, which it considers part of its territory.

Russia's military buildup in the region has also been condemned by the West for defying international law and contravening the internationally brokered ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia in the wake of their August 2008 conflict.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/04/mil-100407-rianovosti01.htm

Russia deploys S-300 air defense systems in Abkhazia

RIA Novosti

16:51 11/08/2010

MOSCOW, August 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has deployed S-300 air defense systems in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia, the commander of the Russian Air Force said on Wednesday.

"We have placed the S-300 systems in Abkhazia to protect the airspace of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in conjunction with other air defense means deployed by the Ground Forces," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told reporters.

He added that the air defense assets deployed in the two former Georgian republics will also help to prevent any violation of Russian airspace and destroy any airborne "intruders" regardless of their purpose.

Zelin was not specific on the number and type of the S-300 deployed in Abkhazia.

The advanced version of the S-300 missile system, called S-300PMU1, has a range of over 150 kilometers (over 100 miles) and can intercept ballistic missiles and aircraft at low and high altitudes, making it effective in warding off potential air and missile strikes.

Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia two weeks after a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008, which began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control.

Russia also signed earlier this year agreements with South Ossetia and Abkhazia on establishing permanent Russian military bases there.

The military bases are located in Gudauta, Abkhazia, and in South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali. Each base is likely to host up to 1,700 servicemen, T-62 tanks, light armored vehicles, air defense systems and various aircraft.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2010/08/mil-100811-rianovosti05.htm

Panstyr is too busy defending S-400 in Moskva.

Abkhaz parliament ratifies military base deal with Russia

RIA Novosti

14:52 27/12/2011

SUKHUMI, December 27 (RIA Novosti) - The Abkhaz parliament has ratified an agreement with Russia on creation of a joint military base in the breakaway Georgian republic, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Tuesday.

Russia has signed agreements with Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian republic, South Ossetia, to set up military bases there for an initial term of 49 years, with possible extensions for an additional 15 years.

The Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, ratified the agreement on September 22 and the upper house followed suit on September 28. Georgia's Foreign Ministry has condemned the move as an illegal and irresponsible legitimization of the Russian military presence in the separatist regions.

The Abkhaz president’s parliamentary representative, Dmitry Shamba, has noted that the military base is to be created “in response to a request by the Abkhaz authorities to deploy Russian military units in the republic’s territory in order to provide military assistance to protect Abkhazia’s sovereignty and security from external and terrorist threats.”

Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, following a five-day war with Georgia. The war began when Georgia attacked South Ossetia, where most residents are Russian passport holders. Russia's decision has been condemned by many nations. Georgia considers the two regions part of its sovereign territory.

Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the tiny island nations of Nauru, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu are the only other countries to have recognized the republics.

Russia has repeatedly stated its readiness to act as a guarantor of non-use of force agreements between Georgia and its breakaway republics

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2011/12/mil-111227-rianovosti02.htm

The latest iteration of the SAM Site Overview file on my website has just been posted. I located two of the Russian S-300PS batteries deployed in Abkhazia, along with a supporting BIG BIRD battle management radar. Since these are Russian-operated, they appear in the Russia folder just like the S-300V battery deployed in Armenia.

The Armenian deployment is the 102nd Military Base, is there a corresponding designator for the Abkhazian deployment?

Interesting. Lots of hi-end weapons found its way to Abhazia and Osetia, I wonder why S-300PS. Georgia practically does not have airforce except for some heloes, some drones and few Su-25. I suspect even BUK-M1 would be overkill.

Viktor wrote:I wonder why S-300PS.

It probably wasn't the Georgian air force they were trying to deter...

Russia, Abkhazia to Sign Deal on Common Security by Year-End – Kremlin Spokesman

NOVO-OGARYOVO, August 28 (RIA Novosti) — Russia and Abkhazia will sign a new treaty on common security space by the end of the year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, commenting on the results of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with his Abkhazian counterpart.

"During the conversation, the sides discussed the need to sign by the end of the year a new treaty on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance, aimed at boosting integration between the two sovereign states. This document will envisage establishing a common defense and security space," he said.

Abkhazia’s newly elected President Raul Hajimba also said earlier this week the new intergovernmental agreement with Russia could be signed by the year-end. He also stressed that in light of the recently signed EU-Georgia Association Agreement, Abkhazia needed to focus on fortifying its southern border and broadening cooperation with Russia, as a guarantor of the country’s independence.

Georgia’s former Abkhazian republic held a presidential election on Sunday after a major split between the government and the opposition triggered a wave of protests across the country, forcing president Alexander Ankvab to step down on June 1.

On Monday, Batal Tabagua, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Abkhazia, announced that the presidential poll had been recognized as valid with no significant violations registered. Opposition leader Hajimba, who formerly served as the country’s vice president and prime minister, secured victory garnering 50.57 per cent of the votes.

Abkhazia broke away from Georgia following an ethnically tinged war in 1992-1993, just after the Soviet Union collapsed. The state has been officially recognized by a handful of countries, including Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru. Tuvalu recognized Abkhazia’s independence in September 2011 but withdrew its recognition in March 2014. Most countries continue to consider Abkhazia part of Georgia.

Putin submits for ratification Russian-Abkhazian Agreement on Strategic Partnership

The document lays the foundation for interstate relations between Russia and Abkhazia and the basic rights and freedoms of man and citizen are its subject.

MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma for ratification the Russian-Abkhazian Agreement on Alliance and Strategic Partnership, the Kremlin official website reported on Tuesday.

The Russian-Abkhazian agreement that was signed in Sochi on November 24, 2014 is the base document that fixes the sides’ intention to establish on a phased basis closer cooperation in the social, economic and humanitarian areas, as well as in the defense and security spheres. It is called upon to create the basis for concluding separate agreements in the aforementioned spheres.

The document lays the foundation for interstate relations between Russia and Abkhazia and the basic rights and freedoms of man and citizen are its subject.

Meanwhile, the agreement contains rules that differ from that stipulated by Russian legislation. In particular, Article 13 specifies Russia’s additional measures to simplify the procedure for getting Russian citizenship by Abkhazian citizens.

“The agreement fully meets Russia’s interests, its ratification will establish solid economic, political and social relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia,” says the Kremlin website.

The Abkhazian parliament ratified the document on December 22.

Russian State Duma to ratify treaty on with Abkhazia

“The treaty brings the relations between Abkhazia and Russia to a qualitatively new level,” Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin said

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma lower parliament house on Friday will consider the issue of the ratification of the Russian-Abkhazian Treaty on Allied Relations and Strategic Partnership. The document was submitted by President Vladimir Putin.

“The treaty brings the relations between Abkhazia and Russia to a qualitatively new level,” Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin said. “The key provision of the treaty is the formation of a common space of defence and security.” Apart from that, according to Naryshkin, the treaty “creates conditions for Abkhazia’s more active involvement into economic integration cooperation with Russia.”

The treaty was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba in Russia’s southern Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 24. It stipulates the formation of a common space of defence and security, including by means of establishing a united group of Russian and Abkhazian armed forces.

The document also says that should one of the sides come under aggression /armed attack/ from any state or a group of states, “this will be considered as aggression /armed attack/ also against the other State party.” In this case, the sides will grant each other “the necessary assistance, including military, and render support by available means to exercise the right to collective defense in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”

The treaty also envisions that the Russian Federation “will in all possible ways contribute to strengthening the international ties of the Republic of Abkhazia, including expansion of the range of states that officially recognized it, and creation of conditions for the admission of the Republic of Abkhazia to international organizations and associations, including those established on the initiative and/or with assistance from the Russian Federation.”

The ratification of the treaty will be a milestone event for the Russian-Abkhazian relations, said Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the State Duma committee for the affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States /CIS/, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots. “The treaty will serve as a basis for the closest interstate integration and bilateral cooperation,” he said.

Russia and Abkhazia, according to Slutsky, already have more than 80 interstate agreements embracing practically all spheres. “The treaty continues the policy towards closer cooperation in the socio-economic sphere, in defence sector and in foreign policy,” he added.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and State Secretary Grigory Karasin said that the treaty was to expand cooperation between the two countries in all spheres. “The treaty reflects new realities that emerged in the region in the past six years and expands cooperation between Russia and Abkhazia in all spheres,” he said.

Russian parliament’s upper house ratifies strategic partnership agreement with Abkhazia

President Putin signs law ratifying Russian-Abkhaz strategic partnership agreement

The Russian president and his Abkhazian counterpart signed the treaty in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 24, 2014


MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Wednesday a law ratifying a treaty on allied relations and strategic partnership between Russia and Abkhazia.

Putin and Abkhazian President Raul Khadzhimba signed the treaty in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 24, 2014.

The treaty was ratified by the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, on January 23 and by the Federation Council on January 28.

The agreement envisages the creation of a joint "defense and security space," including the establishment of a unified group of troops of the Russian and Abkhazian Armed Forces.

Proposal to sign alliance treaty with South Ossetia to be submitted to Russian president