Georgia intensifies support for Ukraine

Georgia believes the escalation of the situation in eastern Ukraine, now involving military action, is a clear example of Russian aggression and has a clear plan on how it can assist Ukraine overcome the crisis.

Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned Russia’s military action in Ukraine and said Georgia had intensified its contact with its Ukrainian colleagues.

Today Minister Maia Panjikidze emphasized the fact the Georgian Government had "serious plans” to help Ukraine.

"Georgia’s Minister of Health Davit Sergeenko has brought very serious information back to Georgia from Ukraine and we have made serious plans on how we can help Ukraine,” Panjikidze said.

"Each statement made by the Prime Minister, Chairman of Parliament, President and members of the Cabinet of Ministers very clearly expresses the Georgian position,” she said.

Panjikidze noted Georgia supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and condemned the annexation of Crimea and the military operations being carried out in the east of the country.

On August 28 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko declared Russian troops had crossed into Ukraine and as a result, he had been forced to cancel a planned visit to Turkey. Instead he convened a meeting of the National Security Council which focused on the "marked aggravation of the situation” in the southeast of his country.

Since then fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels continued in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region.