CoE Congress President, Romania “concerned” by developments in Georgia’s breakaway region

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).

President of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Jean-Claude Frecon was the next person to "strongly condemn” the unlawful movement of Russia’s occupational forces at the ABL.

"In March this year, speaking on behalf of the Congress, I strongly condemned the signature of a so-called "alliance and integration treaty” between South Ossetia and Russia. We were convinced that this move could heighten tension in the region and pose a threat to the local populations.”

"The information we have received in recent days regarding the moving by the Russian forces of the Administrative Border Line between South Ossetia and the rest of Georgia, expanding a little further the territory of the separatist entity, is a cause of great concern to us,” the special statement released by the Frecon read.

The President of the Congress also called on Russian Federation to cease any action which could give rise to excesses that were in nobody’s interest and were condemned by international community.

"The moving of the ABL beyond the villages of Tsitelubani and Orchosani placing the Baku-Supsa pipeline under the control of the Russian forces creates a further risk of destabilising the whole region,” the statement read.

"The Congress has always been in favour of establishing regions with a special status which respect the territorial integrity of states. Consequently, the only reasonable solution is for South Ossetia to once again come under the control of the Tbilisi authorities,” Jean-Claude Frecon read.

Meanwhile Romanian Foreign Ministry also released a statement regarding the recent developments at the ABL in Georgia, noting Russia’s actions were directed against Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania expresses its concern over the recent developments across the administrational border in Georgia’s Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia involving the placement of the so-called "border signs” there.”

"Such actions may escalate the situation on the ground, negatively affect the local population, restrict their right to free movement and lead to provocations. In general, Russia’s actions point to the reinvigoration of the policy directed against Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.

The Romanian side also noted that such actions were carrying the potential of instability and must be avoided as part of the efforts to maintain stability in the region and achieve political resolution of the conflicts in Georgia.

The statements come eleven days after Russia illegally erected new so-called border signs along the ABL between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of the country.

On July 10, Russian forces in occupied Tskhinvali installed banners marking the so-called "state border” on the territory adjacent to Tsitelubani village in Gori municipality and Orchosani village in occupied Akhalgori district, in close vicinity to the Tbilisi-Gori central highway. These actions saw Russia’s occupational forces advance 2km into Georgian territory.

Several members of the international community, including Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Union (EU),  European People’s Party, United Nations ,Czech Republic, Japan, Lithuania,Latvia, the United States (US) and Ukraine, have already condemned the developments at Georgia’s ABL.