Occupied Tskhinvali region closes “border” with the rest of Georgia for 2 days
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The de-facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) have announced that the administrative border separating the breakaway area from the rest of Georgia will be closed for two days.
The breakaway region’s de-facto security committee’s press office said that the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) will be closed from November 22-24.
The temporary closure of the administrative border is due to upcoming celebrations in the breakaway region. On November 23, the occupied Tskhinvali region will celebrate the Day of Bravery and Public Unity. The closure is to "ensure security” during the festivities, the de-facto region said.
The State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili denounced the practice of the occasional closure of the ABL. She said that by doing so, people lose the only way of contacting each other on the two sides of the occupation line.
She added that keeping the ABL open is in the interest of the people of occupied Tskhinvali.
"Such practice has been implemented since 2008. We are sure that the crossing point will re-open – it cannot be closed for a long time – but the period while it is closed creates additional problems to the people who already have limited opportunities of movement”, Tsikhelashvili said.
Georgia and the western world do not recognise the independence of Tskhinvali region and say that it is an integral part of Georgia. Only a handful of countries recognise South Ossetia and another Georgian breakaway region, Abkhazia, as sovereign states.
Russia and Nicaragua recognised the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region on August 26, 2008 following the Russia-Georgia war.
In 2009 Venezuela, Vanuatu, Nauru and Tuvalu took the same step, however several years’ later Vanuatu and Tuvalu in the Pacific Islands revoked their recognition and now declare Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as integral parts of Georgia.
De-facto Tskhinvali region closes the only crossing-point between the occupied area and the rest of Georgia during different holidays on both sides of the ABL.
The de-facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) have closed the administrative border separating the breakaway area from the rest of Georgia for two days.
Relatives living on opposite sides of the ABL between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region and the rest of Georgia will have no chance of celebrating the New Year together.
The administrative border separating Georgia and its occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region has been closed by the breakaway region’s de facto leadership ahead of tomorrow’s Parliamentary Elections in Georgia.
Relatives living on opposite sides of the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia will have no chance of visiting each other for the next two days.
People living near the Russian occupation line in Georgia will receive 200 lari vouchers to cover heating costs during the winter months. The money will be allocated from the Government Reserve Fund, said the Office of Georgia’s Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality today.
Relatives living on opposite sides of the occupation line between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia will have no chance of celebrating the upcoming New Year together.
The Georgian State Security Service wrote in its annual report released today that the presence of Russian forces in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions is the "major threat” to the Georgian state.
The central Georgian government has called upon Russia and the de facto leaderships of the two Georgian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) to reopen so-called borders with the rest of Georgia, which were closed on 11 January “to avoid the spread of swine flu.”