Georgia’s President condemns illegal Russia-Breakaway Abkhazia military deal

President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili is urging the international community to adequately react to a Russian decision to legalise the presence of Russian troops in one of Georgia’s breakaway regions.

Last week a committee in Russia’s parliament ratified an illegal military cooperation agreement with Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway region that’s currently occupied by Russia.

President Margvelashvili believed this action by Russia intended to legalise the existence of Russia’s occupational troops in Abkhazia.

The Defence Committee of Russia’s State Duma ratified the document signed last November, outlining the creation of a joint group of armed forces between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region.

"As you all know, this [ratification] is a continuation of the process that started with the signing of a document between Moscow and the so-called government of Sokhumi [capital of Abkhazia] in 2015,” the President’s spokesperson Eka Mishveladze said today.

"But in fact this action intends to legalise Russian occupational forces in Abkhazia,” she added.

Mishveladze said the President assessed this action as "another step towards the territorial annexation of Georgia”.

Margvelashvili believed this stance by Russia posed a threat to the sovereignty of Georgia and also threatened general peace and stability in the whole region.

According to the document signed by Russia and de-facto Abkhazia in 2015, a joint group of armed forces should be formed between the two sides. This group will contain Russian troops deployed in occupied Abkhazia, two Abkhazian motorised infantries, artillery and aviation groups and special forces units. The group will be led by a representative of the Russian military base.