President urges global community to react to Russia’s military exercises in Georgia’s breakaway regions
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The President of Georgia is appealing to the international community to adequately respond to Russia's military exercises in Georgia's breakaway regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), launched two days ago.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili stressed that the exercises, expected to continue until September 18, were "unacceptable".
The President of Georgia is deeply concerned by the trainings started by Russia on several areas, including on our occupied regions. This is an absolutely unacceptable fact and we are addressing the international community to appropriately evaluate and react to the issue,” said the President’s Advisor in Foreign Affairs Tengiz Pkhaladze.
According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the large-scaled military trainings covered the southern part of the Russian Federation, as well as the occupied regions of Georgia and annexed Ukrainian territory of Crimea.
The Russian officials claimed the trainings aimed to improve and refine the skills of artillery and military pilots.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia is calling on the international community to adequately assess Russia’s military trainings on Georgia breakaway territory of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia. More than 2,000 troops are currently participating in military trainings on Georgia’s two occupied territories.
Georgia is condemning Russia’s "provocative” efforts to restore an old railway in occupied Georgia, and says the country will not tolerate "repeated aggression” on Georgian soil.
If Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region and Venezuela sign a visa free travel agreement, this will be a blatant violation of international law, says official Tbilisi.
Leaders of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region plan to introduce visa regimes for states that refuse to recognise it as an independent state.
De facto authorities in one of Georgia’s two occupied regions has imposed visa regime for countries that refuse to recognise the breakaway territory as an independent state.
Georgia is condemning the mass military drills initiated by Russia in the north Caucasus, in Crimea, in military bases in Armenia and in Georgia’s occupied regions and say the exercises are provocative and a "threat that has the potential to destabilize the region”.
Today Georgia is celebrating Abkhaz Language Day – an important day in the country’s annual calendar. Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke of the importance of the day.