Appeal of Georgia National Science Foundation and Georgian Scientists to International Community of Scientists

Dear colleagues,

We appeal to you in the time of our severe testing when Russian Federation exercises of large-scale aggression against the sovereign Georgia in attempt of its complete occupation. Today is a matter of life and death of Georgia as a country. Russia aims at abolishment of Georgia’s sovereignty, disorganization of its State system and annihilation of the country. Mass violation of human rights and liberties has occurred, peaceful citizens has been assaulted. Russian active forces have been bombing whole territory of Georgia and our capaital city Tbilisi, the hospitals and University in Gori. All that has caused heavy casualties among civilian population, hundreds are wounded, their private property is crushed. Russian invaders killed local, foreign and even Russian journalists; shoot wounded Georgian soldiers.

At the same time Russia conducts dirty information warfare against Georgia, spreads out misinformation to give the world wry and preconceived notion about the just war of Georgia for democracy, peace and the country integrity.

Soviet Empire laid delayed-action mine by creating Abkhazian and South Ossetian autonomies and, after collapse of the Union, Russia has actively supported separative movement in these regions. Under the aegis of peace-makers it has made any effort to keep and increase the tension during last 15 years. Russia has hampered the restoration of confidence between Georgians and Abkhazians, Georgians and South Ossetians, impeded peaceful settlement of the conflict and respectively created security and stability threat for the whole region.

Military aggression from Russian side can not be justified by so called mission of its citizens’ protection in the separative regions and this argument is absolutely inadmissible. It recalls the reason used by Nazi regime for occupation of sovereign Czechoslovakia in 30^th of last century. In fact Russia has been annexing not only South Ossetia and Abkhazia but the whole Georgia.

By means of military intervention Russia tries to overthrow democratically elected government of its small neighbor country of infant western-oriented democracy, to change the geo-political status of the whole Caucasus region and turn back the world to the times of the cold war.

Georgia is a country of ancient civilization, historically always peace-loving and nowadays most of all seeking after peace.

At the time of evolvement of these dramatic and cruel developments we apply to all scientists of the world and our Russian colleagues among them to lay to their hearts the tragedy of our small country and raise their voices to avoid ethnic-cleaning of Georgians in their native country (this intention is still going starting from 90-ies of last century). Please render us your countenance in stopping the intervention of Russian Army into Georgia, resolving the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from Georgia and peaceful settlement of the conflict with participation of international neutral mediators.

Please believe us, from today's developments in our country Russia is starting the process of democratic values’ violation and word-wide domination by means of harsh military force.