5 years since annexation of Crimea: Georgia reaffirms support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty

Georgia reaffirms “strong and unequivocal support” for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, and condemns “the illegal referendum” conducted in Crimea five years ago.

In a statement released yesterday, the Georgian Foreign Ministry urged that “after five years, Russian Federation continues aggressive and illegal actions against Ukraine”.

The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol, as well as parts of Eastern Ukraine regions are still occupied. There are numerous cases of gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law on the temporary occupied territories of Ukraine,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Georgia condemns Russia’s “temporary occupation and annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol” and the attempts “to forcefully change the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine”.

The Foreign Ministry said these are “the actions our country has experienced itself”.

Today, the firm, consolidated position of the international community is of utmost importance, in order to avoid the escalation of armed conflict, to resist the ongoing aggression against sovereign states and to ensure peace and security through establishment of international security mechanisms on the ground”, it underscored.

The Foreign Ministry believes, the “practice of occupation and annexation poses a serious threat to the international security, peace and stability”.

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