Time in Tbilisi: March 28, 2024 15:02
Tbilisi is calling on the global community to "properly respond” to Russia’s "illegal actions” of creeping occupation at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia.
Two days ago Russia’s occupational forces illegally placed so-called border signs near Georgia’s central highway in several villages in Gori municipality in central Georgia. This action, referred to as Russia’s creeping occupation, saw about two more kilometres of Georgian soil in the heart of the country now become occupied by Russia.
Russia had already occupied about 20 percent of Georgian territory.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry urged the international community to make a "relevant evaluation of the actions that are aimed against peace and security”, which "violate fundamental principles of the international law.”
In a special statement the Ministry said it would use all international levers to ensure Russia's provocative actions are met with a relevant response.
Meanwhile the Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for relations with Russia, Zurab Abashidze, travelled to the Gori district and met with local residents who were effected by Russia's "border marking” activities.
Abashidze said the situation was "very critical” and he would raise this issue at his next meeting with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin in Prague on July 15.
The so-called Abashidze-Karasin talks are the only format of direct Georgian-Russian dialogue since the two countries cut off diplomatic ties after the 2008 August war. The first Abashidze-Karasin meeting took place in 2012 in Geneva.
The talks are limited in scope to economic and other practical issues but today Abashidze said the ABL issue was "so acute" it could not be avoided at the upcoming meeting.
Meanwhile the European Union’s Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia was also mobilised at the site, where the basic and fundamental rights of Georgian citizens had been violated by the occupational forces.
The installation of sign posts prevented local residents of the nearby Georgian villages from reaching their wheat fields.
Most of the farmers had already cultivated their land on the rural outskirts of their villages and were now worried they would not be able to access their land to collect their crops.
Today representatives from Georgia’s Interior Ministry talked to so-called border officials from the de facto Tskhinvali side and received a promise that Georgian farmers would be allowed to access their crops from the newly occupied land.
Local residents have said they were now unable to reach their pastures and would probably be forced to sell all their cattle after about 70 percent (about 10 hectares) of their fields were now under Russian and de facto South Ossetian control.
The EUMM monitors said the issue would be discussed at international level.
Additionally, the latest creeping occupation saw a portion of the BP-operated Baku–Supsa Pipeline in Georgia now become under Russian control in the breakaway Tskinvali region, as certain segments of the oil pipeline fell behind the new "border” signs.
Today a group of opposition activists rallied in Tbilisi and demanded the Government to "properly react” to Russia’s "illegal activities”, while Government representatives said their response would be "very strict”. The protesters also expected a "proper assessment of the situation” from the global community.
Russia has advanced its creeping occupation into Georgian territory, resulting in a portion of the BP-operated Baku–Supsa Pipeline now under Russian control in the breakaway Tskinvali region (South Ossetia).
A Georgian man has been detained in occupied Tskhinvali territory while attending his mother-in-law’s funeral at the village cemetery located near the de facto occupation line.
Russian Occupational forces have released a Georgian teenager, after he was taken as a hostage for allegedly crossing the so-called occupation line.
Two Georgian citizens have been taken hostage from Gori villages today- Vasil Khidasheli,19, from the village Tsitelubani and Aleksandre Shiukashvili,32, from the village Kirbali. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs ( MIA) international organisations have already been informed regarding the facts.
An elderly man from the Kaspi district is the latest Georgian citizen to be detained by Russian soldiers at the so-called occupation line near Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
A middle-aged resident has been snatched by Russian guards for allegedly attempting to cross the so-called border between Georgia and breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The global community is concerned by Russia’s creeping occupation into Georgian soil and is urging the giant nation to respect Georgia’s territorial integrity.
Lithuania has expressed its "grave concern” over the ongoing "borderization” process along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s occupied region Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and the remaining territory of Georgia.
Georgia has officially sent a letter of protest to Russia denouncing Russia’s "provocative actions” and unlawful claim over Georgian territory in a move called creeping occupation.
The European Union says Russia's actions at the administrative boundary line (ABL) in Georgia's breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region are unlawful and "provocative".
The leader of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed her grave concern about Russia’s recent efforts to move deeper into Georgian territory and change the Administrative Border Line (ABL) in Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region,.
The situation along the administrative boundary line of Georgia's breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) today became tense after seven armed people in military uniform removed the Georgian flag away from the so-called border.
The United Nations Secretary-General is the latest international official to condemn Russia’s illegal actions at the Administrative Border Line (ABL) in Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region.
The people of Lithuania have ventured out into the capital city in a public show of support for Georgia’s territorial integrity following Russia’s creeping occupation into Georgian territory.
More members of the international community are condemning Russia’s illegal actions at the Administrative Border Line (ABL) in Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region.
The European People’s Party (EPP) has "strongly condemned” Russia’s installation of new signposts that effectively redraws the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) of breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and extending its occupation two kilometres deeper into Georgian territory.
The tense situation along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia has intensified after a Georgian man was kidnapped by Russian servicemen from Tbilisi-controlled territory today.
Two Georgian villages located near the occupation line with Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) are now supplied with natural gas for the first time.
More members of the international community voice their concern over Russia’s illegal actions at the Administrative Border Line (ABL) in Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).
Reforms of the Interior Ministry, the Prosecutor’s Office, the court system and human rights were the main topic discussed at a meeting between Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the new Council of Europe (CoE) head of Tbilisi office Cristian Urse.
Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have recognised Georgia’s reform progress and commended the country's efforts to move closer to Europe.
Twenty percent of Georgia's territory remains occupied, mass violations of human rights and ethnic cleansing is still ongoing in the areas affected by Russian ‘borderisation’ and creeping annexation - Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is calling on the international community to react adequately after seven years of the tragic results of the Russian– Georgian war of 2008.
A documentary film by Georgian director Toma Chagelishvili, shot at a Georgian village at the centre of Russia’s creeping occupation, was awarded with a special prize by the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
Seven years have passed since Russia and Georgia clashed in a short but violent war but those who lost their lives in the fighting are not forgotten.
The idea to create a Georgia branch of the Development Agency of France (AFD) was discussed in the context of developing Georgian-French economic ties, stated Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.
Russia is continuing to provoke Georgia and violate its territorial integrity by flying several aircraft into Georgian airspace.
Two men have been arrested for regularly stealing large amounts of crude oil from the BP-operated Baku-Supsa Pipeline in Georgia.
Today Russian-controlled armed guards in uniform installed new ‘border’ signs in the small Georgian village of Avnevi in Kareli municipality in central Georgia, local media reported today.
The OSCE PA approved an important document prepared by Georgia about the conflicts in the country, stating Russia continued to violate international laws and violate the rights of Georgian citizens living in and near the occupied regions.
Russian occupants are continuing their illegal activities in eastern Georgia’s Gori municipality, and this time have taken vital crops away from farmers, leaving them without food. Gori is located near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating Georgia and occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili is calling on the global community to "properly assess” Russia’s "illegal actions” on the Georgian territory and take relevant measures.
Georgia’s Patriarchate is calling on the government to find ways to let UNESCO experts monitor cultural sites and monuments in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions.