Tbilisi condemns occupied Tskhinvali-Moscow integration deal as “actual annexation”
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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and de facto leader of Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) Leonid Tibilov signed a so-called "Treaty on Alliance and Integration” in Moscow today.
The treaty envisaged the forming of a unified region of defence and security, freedom of movement between the Russian Federation and Georgia’s breakaway region, the integration of the customs bodies and social issues.
A statement released by Georgia’s Foreign Ministry shortly after the controversial document was signed, stated the "treaty” was condemned by the Georgian Foreign Ministry as an "actual annexation of occupied Tskhinvali region” by Russia.
Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili also expressed his "deepest concern” over the signature of the document and said this step of Russia posed a threat to Europe’s security.
Meanwhile, the European Union and the United States today openly stated they refused to recognise the deal, just like they refused to recognise the November 2014 "treaty” between Russia and Georgia’s other breakaway region, Abkhazia.
After today’s signing ceremony, Tskhinvali’s de facto leader Tibilov invited Putin to Tskhinvali to celebrate its "independence day” on September 20.
"This year South Ossetia will celebrate its 25th anniversary of the founding of South Ossetia on September 20. I would like to invite you, Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] to this celebration,” Tibilov said after signing the cooperation and integration treaty with Putin in Moscow, and added: ""We are waiting for you as it would be the best gift for our republic”.
Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia are not recognised as independent states by the global community. Georgia and the western society considered these two regions as Russian-occupied territories of Georgia.
Earlier, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry called on the global community to take "effective steps” to suppress Russia’s annexation policy.
The de facto leaders of Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and the Russian Federation will sign a so-called "Treaty on Alliance and Integration” today. The global community is assessing this as "yet another step that goes against ongoing efforts to strengthen security and stability in the region”.
A Georgian delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister David Dondua has departed for Switzerland where the 31st round of the Geneva International Discussions convene on March 17 and 18.
Georgia is blaming Russia for its "deliberate affront” to the international community and the peace process.
A proposal to sign a closer cooperation treaty between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Tskinvali region (South Ossetia) will soon be submitted to the Russian President for review.
The Russian President’s aide Vladislav Surkov in charge of overseeing Moscow’s relations with Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) believes the planned treaty between Moscow and Tskhinvali will be signed early 2015.
A handful of European countries have openly stated they do not recognise the so-called "Treaty on Alliance and Integration” between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and the Russian Federation.
NATO does not recognise the so-called "Treaty on Alliance and Integration” signed between the Russian Federation and Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on 18 March.
The United Kingdom (UK) is pledging to offer €28 million (64.8 million GEL) to Georgia and other Eastern European countries who are facing oppression by Russia.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is condemning the integration deal between occupied Tskhinvali and Moscow, and believes the deal promotes "creeping annexation” of Georgian territory.
"The hysterics that occurred in the West and in Tbilisi following signing the treaty on alliance and integration between Russia and Tskhinvali region - is an attempt to bring the situation in the region back to the situation of August 2008.”
The Council of Europe (CoE) has called on Russia to facilitate and grant unrestricted access to the CoE bodies to the areas affected by the conflict in Georgia, in a document adopted yesterday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has held a fruitful meeting with a high official from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) today in Tbilisi.
The Russian Federation’s claims that Tbilisi’s refusal to stop calling Sokhumi and Tskinvali as "occupied regions”, as well as Georgia’s aspirations towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration are an obstruction towards normalising Russia-Georgia relations, have been slammed by Georgian officials.
Russia must take responsibility for its damaging actions in Georgia and Ukraine, believes Georgian Foreign Minister Tamar Beruachashvili.
Tbilisi has expressed its "extreme concern” and condemned Russia’s military exercises launched on Wednesday in Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).
Official Tbilisi is calling on the international community to adequately assess and respond to Russia’s ongoing defiance against Georgia and its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP) believes Georgia should be granted a visa free regime in 2016, once the country fulfils its obligations and commitments.
An official representatives of the United States (US) Department of State has made it very clear America will never respect or recognise any attempy by Georgia’s eastern de facto Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region to conduct a referendum about joining Russia.