May 20 (Bloomberg) -- Georgian lawmakers
voted today to recognize the 19th-century killing and deportation of North
Caucasus natives by Tsarist Russia as genocide, becoming the first country to do
so, parliament member Giorgi Gabashvili said.
Georgia says Circassians,
the indigenous peoples of the Northwest Caucasus, were murdered and exiled as
Russian forces took over the region in the Caucasus War between 1817 and 1864.
While Russia hasn't apologized for what happened, former president Boris Yelstin
called the events tragic in 1994.
Georgia's parliament
unanimously approved the "historic" decision at a vote attended by members of
the Circassia community in Tbilisi, Gabashvili told reporters. While the move
may anger Russia, it should accept the decision "in a civilized manner," he
added.
Relations between the two
counties are strained after Russia won a five-day war with its southern
neighbour over the separatist region of South Ossetia in August 2008. While
Russia recognizes the region as an independent state and has agreed to defend
its borders, Georgia still claims sovereignty over it.
--Editors: Andrew Langley, Balazs
Penz