Georgian Foreign Minister: OSCE Group of Friends’ support is strong political message

Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said the statement released by the OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia supporting its territorial integrity and democratic development is a strong political message from the international community.

Janelidze said considering Russia’s destructive policy towards Georgia, the statement once again confirms that the conflict between Georgia and Russia is an important part of international agenda.

OSCE Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations pose for a family photo at the 24th Ministerial Council in Vienna, 7 December 2017. Photo credit photonews.at

As the world marks the Human Rights Day on December 10, Janelidze also tweeted on how severe the situation is in Georgia’s Russian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.

Today, while #GoG ensures the best standards of Human Rights protection on the controlled territory,they are fully ignored in occupied #Georgian regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali by the occupying force. World should be united on upholding the human rights standards #HumanRightsDaypic.twitter.com/CeMnoeF31k

— Mikheil Janelidze (@JanelidzeMkh) December 10, 2017

At the OSCE Ministerial Council on December 8, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the United States of America reaffirmed their support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

Stressing they will continue to raise awareness of the conflict in Georgia and need for its peaceful resolution, the group also urged the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces from Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).