Ruling party head: Georgia “remains committed” to peaceful de-occupation

Kobakhidze stressed any war in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali would mean conflict not only against the Russian occupation forces, but also with Abkhazian and Ossetian populations. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office

Agenda.ge, 28 Mar 2022 - 15:05, Tbilisi,Georgia

The Georgian Government remains committed to the policy of peaceful de-occupation and will resist “all provocations” aimed at escalating a new military confrontation with “our Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters,” Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Monday.

Kobakhidze was commenting on the matter following a statement last week by Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council, that said Georgia would “greatly help” Ukraine in its defence from the ongoing Russian invasion by opening fronts against Russia to forcefully regain control over the occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).

Kobakhidze stressed any war in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali would mean conflict not only against the Russian occupation forces, but also with Abkhazian and Ossetian populations.

A few days ago, another visit of the ‘War Party’ - i.e. the [United] National Movement [opposition party] - to Ukraine took place. The visit seems to have been ‘successful’ because upon its completion, senior Ukrainian officials began to speak openly about the need to open a second front in Georgia and bring the ongoing war in Ukraine to Georgia,” the GD official said in criticism of the UNM party.

Kobakhidze said the “main goal of all the provocations” by the UNM was to “drag Georgia into” the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine, and added Georgia should instead extend help to the people living in the Russian-occupied territories to solve their social problems.

The Georgian Government will act in accordance with the state interests of Georgia, respond appropriately to all provocations of the ‘war party’, and will not allow Georgia to be involved in a military conflict,” the ruling party head said.