Georgia’s President calls on international community to prevent annexation of Abkhazia
Tweet 
Share
The ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty signed between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a step towards annexation of Georgia, President Giorgi Margvelashvili announced today.
Margvelashvili held a special press conference where he responded to signing of the document condemned by Georgia and the international community. The President noted this action put the stability of the Caucasus region in danger and would bring the Russia-Georgia negotiations to a deadlock.
"This step creates new challenges for Georgia and for our partners in Europe, as well as around the whole world,” he said.
Margvelashvili noted the document violated principles of international law and it would "practically turn Abkhazia into a part of Russia”.
"We should understand that if Russia does not get an adequate answer to this issue, its expansion and annexation policy will have a future. This policy should have a resistance,” he said.
"We call on the international community to unite around our anti-annexation policy. We believe discussing this problem in large-scale forums is very important. Today we need unity, strength and wisdom,” Margvelashvili said.
In his statement, Margvelashvili said he believed Georgian society had the resources to unity and make the right steps. He said the most important thing was to hold a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting and raise this issue with the Council of the OSCE, the Council of Europe, NATO and other forums.
"With this aim, I call on political parties, society, research centers and political organisations to unite and together use all platforms through which we will be able to speak more loudly on this issue and reach the international community. I want to stress that the Abkhazians, their identity, their cultural future is in a danger as well,” he said.
Margvelashvili also stressed the importance of holding discussions with the refugee population, who used to live in Abkhazia. In addition, he asked the Georgian Patriarch and leaders of all religious confessions existing in Georgia to use their authority to make joint efforts to prevent the assimilation of small nations.
The United States (US) says it will not recognise the legitimacy of any treaty between Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region and the Russian Federation.
The new agreement between Russia and breakaway Abkhazia reflects Russia's desire to annex part of Georgia, says Estonian Foreign Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and de-facto president of Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia are scheduled to meet in Russia’s Black Sea resort town Sochi today and sign an alliance treaty despite the document being condemned by Georgia and the international community.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry believes the revised draft treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a step forward to the annexation of Georgia’s territories.
De-facto Cabinet Ministers of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region have approved a bilateral treaty between Moscow and Sokhumi that outlined creating joint Russian and Abkhazian military forces.
The European Union (EU) believes the proposed 'Alliance and Integration' draft treaty between Russia and Georgia's breakaway region, the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, undermines the security and stability of the region.
NATO’s top regional representative said there was "strong concern” in the Alliance about the Kremlin-proposed ‘Alliance and Integration’ treaty Russia aimed to make with Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.
A Kremlin proposed new treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ with Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia and Russia will be signed by the end of this year, Abkhazia’s de-facto leader Raul Khajimba announced.
The ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership' treaty signed between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is a challenge for Georgia and for European and Euro-Atlantic security, believes Georgia’s State Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.