The Korea Times: “Georgia determined to reclaim occupied territories on the 10th war anniversary“

Georgia’s efforts to restore its territorial integrity a decade after the 2008 war that saw the occupation of a fifth of the country’s territory by Russia are the focus of a new article on an influential daily The Korea Times.

The piece introduces readers of the widely read newspaper to brief facts about the conflict and the ongoing occupation of the Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia regions of Georgia.

It also presents the official Georgian position through the country’s Ambassador to Korea Otar Berdzenishvili, who spoke to Yi Whan-woo of the publication.

Berdzenishvili said Russia still continues the illegal occupation and steps towards factual annexation of two Georgian regions attempting to incorporate them into Russia's military, economic and social systems”, the diplomat told the newspaper.

While the Russian-backed forces and the Kremlin frustrate efforts for "the establishment of international security arrangements” on the occupied territories, the Georgian government is seeking peaceful resolutions of the reality, the article notes.

This involves a new piece initiative titled A Step to a Better Future, which seeks to provide humanitarian and economic improvements to residents of the two regions.

[The move seeks to] foster people-to-people contacts and confidence building between the divided societies”, Whan-woo explains.

Georgia’s plans for restoring its territorial integrity are also backed by its allies including NATO..

In addition, the country’s government is also gaining support for blacklisting individuals involved in murder, torture and other crimes committed against Georgian citizens on the occupied territories, the report says.

Read the full story here: koreatimes.co.kr