Georgian FM at religious ministerial in US: Russia harshly violates religious rights in our occupied regions
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has urged the international community from Washington to once again condemn Russia’s actions in Georgia. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkalinai says that Georgia is proud of its centuries-long tolerance to various religious minorities living in the country, stating that Russia harshly violates religious rights and freedom of the Georgian citizens living in the currently occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.
Staring in 2008, after the regions were occupied by Russia, the regions have turned into so-called black holes. Religious rights of Georgian citizens there, as well as clerics, have been severely violated. They are unable to carry out religious rituals and conduct services. People are not allowed to visit the graves of their ancestors due to the barbed-wire-fences illegally erected by occupying forces,” Zalkaliani said at the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, held in Washington yesterday.
He said that Georgia is taking “unilateral” steps to peacefully resolve the conflict.
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo attended FMs at the event.
Grateful to the religious, governmental, and civil society leaders who have made advancing #religiousfreedom a priority at today’s #IRFministerial. Religious freedom is an unalienable right, not an option. Every person around the world should be free to believe as they see fit. pic.twitter.com/WtRnNvJjzL
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 18, 2019
I once again urge the international community to tell Russia clearly that its policy, targeted against Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, is unacceptable,” Zalkaliani said.
Zalkaliani stated that Georgia is ready to play the mediator’s role between different religious and ethnic groups as the country has a ‘big experience’ in this regard.
Georgian tolerance to religious and ethnic minorities has been exemplary,” Zalkaliani said.
Zalkalini was invited to participate in the event with the invitation of the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo.
Five US senators have introduced a bill to the Senate which provides tougher sanctions against Russia for its illegal activities in Ukraine, Georgia and for its support of the violent regime of Bashar-al-Assad in Syria.
US Congressman Francis Rooney has presented a draft bill to the US Congress which condemns last year’s recognition of independence of the two occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) by Syria.The draft cites Georgia as “one of the US’ most reliable allies in Eurasia” and urges the US government and its partners to take active steps suspend the Russian invasion in its neighboring states.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered his own explanation of how Georgia “engulfed” the currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.
The Georgian Embassy to Germany has sent an official letter to the German Public Broadcaster and the author of a seven-minute TV story which stated incorrect and distorted historic claims about Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Abkhazia, saying that the territory “was handed to Georgia by the head of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to ensure all possible support for the “national security” of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region in his letter sent to de facto president of the region Raul Khajimba, Russian new agency RIA Novosti reports.
The Georgian Patriarchate said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent explanation of how Georgia “engulfed” the currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions “has caused a negative reaction among our people”. "Such distortion of historic facts continues to deepen the existing conflicts”, the Patriarchate said.
The Russian Prosecutor’s Office reports that an investigation is underway into the embezzlement of 3 billion Russian rubles (about $48 million), that was allocated to rebuild infrastructure in de facto South Ossetia (occupied Tskhinvali).
The Russian Prosecutor’s Office reports that an investigation is underway into the embezzlement of 3 billion Russian rubles (about $48 million), that was allocated to rebuild infrastructure in de facto South Ossetia (occupied Tskhinvali).
The Russian Prosecutor’s Office reports that an investigation is underway into the embezzlement of 3 billion Russian rubles (about $48 million), that was allocated to rebuild infrastructure in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).