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Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine voice support for Georgia 9 years after August War

European Union will increase its financial assistance to Georgia from €65 million to €100 million. Photo by Agenda.ge
Agenda.ge, 09 Aug 2017 - 14:49, Tbilisi,Georgia

The Foreign Ministries of Lithuania and Poland released statements, denouncing Russia’s moves and declaring support for Georgia’s territorial integrity.

"Russia’s aggression against Georgia shook the world in August 2008”, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.

The statement stressed that the war has claimed hundreds of lives, while Russia has seized a part of Georgia’s territory and thousands of people have become internally displaced persons.

"Today marks the ninth anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war. Together with Georgia, Lithuania recalls this tragic page of history, expresses condolences to the relatives of those killed and calls on the international community to continue to actively pursue a peaceful resolution of the conflict and restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity. We support the activity of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, as well as efforts in that direction of all other international organizations and their partners”, the statement read.

It added that nine years after the war, Russia has still not implemented the so-called ‘six-point peace plan’. It said that the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali are still de facto occupied by the Russian Federation today and the creeping annexation of these regions continues: fences, signifying the so-called ‘border’, are being erected; ‘agreements’ are being drafted and signed with the Georgian regions, aimed at further integrating them into Russia’s economic, social, and military life.

"There is a systematic violation of human rights in these regions of Georgia and it is impossible to ensure international monitoring of the situation”, the statement read.

"Once again we urge the Russian Federation to implement its commitments undertaken in the ‘six-point peace plan’, to stop violating the sovereignty of Georgia, and to respect its territorial integrity”.

The statement by the Polish Foreign Ministry said that Poland is closely following the developments in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region, which for the last nine years since Russia’s armed aggression against Georgia on 8 August 2008, has been ruled by separatist authorities established and supported by Moscow and not recognised by the international community.

"We strongly oppose the militarisation and the ‘borderisation’ of the occupied territories, which are carried out with Russia’s active participation. We note with increasing concern the deteriorating humanitarian, economic and welfare situation of the inhabitants of the occupied part of Georgia, for which the Russian Federation and the de facto governing authorities in Sukhumi and Tskhinvali bear full responsibility”, the statement read.

Poland called for an end to human rights violations such as imposing illegal regulations discriminating against Georgians living in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region and depriving civilians of the right to move freely throughout the whole territory of Georgia.

The statement stressed that the Polish Foreign Ministry continues to uphold its position that in light of international law, Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region are an integral part of the independent State of Georgia. It added that any actions undertaken by the Russian Federation or the de facto authorities in Sukhumi and Tskhinvali on the territories of Georgia that are temporarily not controlled by Tbilisi without the permission of Georgian institutions should be condemned because they violate the Georgian authorities’ sovereign right to implement their constitutional powers and obligations in the territory of Georgia within the borders recognized by the international community.

"The authorities of the Republic of Poland declare their solidarity with the Georgian authorities and support actions aimed at restoring the territorial sovereignty of the State of Georgia. We recognise that the mobilisation of efforts by the international community has helped to contain the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation towards Georgia”, it stated.

Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Inara Murniece took to Tweeter to voice her support for Georgia. She wrote that nine years ago Russian military attacked Georgia.

"We express our friendship and strongly support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity”, she wrote.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin tweeted that nine years ago Russia invaded Georgia and "got away with it”. Then Russia "went after Ukraine. Time to stop the Russian aggression, he added.