Foreign Minister uses US meetings to highlight Georgia’s plights

I will do my best to ensure Georgian issues are discussed at all international platforms, American political establishment among them,” pledged Georgia’s Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who is in New York attending the 70th United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA).

During his nine days in the United States (US) at the international forum, Kvirikashvili was scheduled to hold 68 meetings with foreign officials. At all of these meetings he would raise Georgia’s profile and awareness of the issues within the country, particularly Russia’s ongoing provocation in the country’s two occupied regions.

All platforms are essential for us to gain support for the United Nations (UN) resolution over Internally Displaced People (IDPs) of Georgia that envisages the peaceful return of IDPs to Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). 

We need international support to tackle the occupation and other related problems Georgia is currently facing,” Kvirikashvili added.  

He conceded it would be a challenge to gain support from all international players but said he would do is best during his 68 scheduled meetings. 

Already Kvirikashvili has met with Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) General Secretary Lamberto Zannier, and the Foreign Ministers from Latvia, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

With the OSCE official Kvirikashvili spoke in depth about the ongoing problem of Georgia’s occupied regions and Russia’s continuing aggressive actions at so-called Administrative Boundary Line (ABL).

After the meeting Zannier said: "Addressing the problem of Georgia’s occupied regions should continue within the international Geneva Talks format. The OSCE together with the European Union (EU) and other partners will continue being involving in the process.”

Meanwhile developing closer bilateral economic and political ties was on the agenda of the meetings between Kvirikashvili and his counterparts from Latvia, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

Caption: Georgia’s Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvrikashvili meets his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkēvičs.  Photo by Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.

Kvirikashvili was among the Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili that left for the US on September 25. The delegation is due to return home on October 3.