President Margvelashvili blames Russia for ‘occupation politics’

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili believes a stable neighbour across the border is good not only for neighbours but for the Russian Federation itself but was confident Russia was advancing the annexation of Georgia.

"One of the main issues of our international policy agenda is relations with our common neighbour Russia,” Margvelashvili said at a press conference at the National Press Club of Tokyo in the framework of his official visit to Japan.

"At the beginning of this year we have seen the second wave of Russia’s very aggressive politics in the region. The first wave was in 2008 when Russia occupied Georgia’s territories and the second in Ukraine in 2014. Now Russia continues occupation politics in Georgia and advancing annexation of territories. We strongly condemned Russia’s actions,” Margvelashvili said.

The President focused that Georgia had many times warned its friends and partners across the world that a crisis could happen until "they have a firm position with regard to Russia's foreign policy agenda".

Speaking with international and Georgian journalists Margvelashvili also stressed that Georgia had tried to explain to the world that we could not respond to the particular cases referred to Georgia and Ukraine but react globally.

 Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili during the press conference at National Press Club of Tokyo on October 21. Photo by President's Press office. 

The President believed Russia waa eager to keep its neighbors under constant tension.

"Russia can create problems on the territories of its neighbours at any case of their wish. This means that one of the largest countries n the world with its territories which has nuclear weapons, would like its neighbors to be in a constant warning situation. This includes the largest part of the Eurasian continent. This means tension around the globe,” Margvelashvili said.

The Georgian President believed that non-stability of the map colours created problems for the security of the world.

"The colours of the world’s map are changing on a daily basis based on the theories that are being formed in Moscow. The colours changed in Ukraine, Crimea is now different a colour as well as Donetsk and Luhansk. Now they are trying to change the colours of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s two breakaway regions,” Margvelashvili said.

"Conflicts will not bring anything good for Russia. No one has won with conflicts. People in Luhansk, Tskhinvali and Sokhumi live in a very insecure environment, plus they live on the territories that create destabilisation on the border of Russia,” he said.

Georgia’s President found 'no logic’ in this kind of Russian politics.

When referring particularly to Russia-Georgia relations, Margvelashvili believed Georgia had the firm support in non-recognition policy but together with the international community failed to strengthen the problem-solving agenda.

"If the issue of Georgia’s occupation has to be on the high level at international discussions since 2008, we could not have Crimea and advancement of Georgia’s annexation,” Margvelashvili said.

However he believed during the war in 2008 the issue of occupied territories had been on Georgia’s political agenda but later it was removed even from international discussions.

Thus, Margvelashvili stressed that problem solving was on further strengthening of those means.

Georgia’s President was confident that it was easy to explain to such "a strong and dedicated people”, like the Japanese because they knew what were the firm force and not the primary strike force of the explosion.