Georgia's President concerned about "illegal" barbed wire fences

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili is calling on the international community to speak up over Russia’s "illegal” installation of barbed wire fences in the breakaway Tskhinvali region.

Margvelashvili said the activity only aimed to conflict escalation.

"The barbed wire was only installed in an attempt to maintain conflict [between Georgia and Russia],” the President said.

He also addressed Russia and reminded them that this action was a violation of international law norms.

Marvelashvili said he would visit the Shida Kartli region later tonight to meet the local people who lived alongside the occupation line and were affected by the barbed-wire activities.

Margvelashvili said he also was concerned over the fact that the 11km boundary zone, which Russia shifted on the Psou River, near Gagra in the breakaway territory of Abkhazia, has not been removed. Russian authorities moved the border ahead of the Sochi Olympic Games in a so-called security measure and claimed it would be removed following the Games but this had not happened.

Russia had stopped the process of installing barbed wire fences near Tskhinvali but resumed it the very next day after the Sochi Olympics was over.