Georgia’s President condemns illegal Russia-Breakaway Abkhazia military deal
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President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili is urging the international community to adequately react to a Russian decision to legalise the presence of Russian troops in one of Georgia’s breakaway regions.
Last week a committee in Russia’s parliament ratified an illegal military cooperation agreement with Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway region that’s currently occupied by Russia.
President Margvelashvili believed this action by Russia intended to legalise the existence of Russia’s occupational troops in Abkhazia.
The Defence Committee of Russia’s State Duma ratified the document signed last November, outlining the creation of a joint group of armed forces between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region.
"As you all know, this [ratification] is a continuation of the process that started with the signing of a document between Moscow and the so-called government of Sokhumi [capital of Abkhazia] in 2015,” the President’s spokesperson Eka Mishveladze said today.
"But in fact this action intends to legalise Russian occupational forces in Abkhazia,” she added.
Mishveladze said the President assessed this action as "another step towards the territorial annexation of Georgia”.
Margvelashvili believed this stance by Russia posed a threat to the sovereignty of Georgia and also threatened general peace and stability in the whole region.
According to the document signed by Russia and de-facto Abkhazia in 2015, a joint group of armed forces should be formed between the two sides. This group will contain Russian troops deployed in occupied Abkhazia, two Abkhazian motorised infantries, artillery and aviation groups and special forces units. The group will be led by a representative of the Russian military base.
September 27, 1993 was the day when tens of thousands of people died, hundreds of thousands of people became internally displaced (IDPs) within their own homeland, and Tbilisi lost control of Abkhazia region in north-western Georgia.
The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) says Georgia has managed to address vital issues to improve the lives of IDPs.
Speaking in front of hundreds of high officials at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 71st Session in New York, United States (US), Kvirikashvili stressed the human rights of people who lived in Georgia’s two occupied regions were permanently being violated.
Georgia is concerned by Russia’s aggressive actions in Georgia’s breakaway regions, specifically the recent signing of a military cooperation agreement with de facto Abkhazia, which was a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional security.
Russian news agency TASS reported an agreement allowing South Ossetian military to serve in the Russian Armed Forces was expected to be signed by the end of 2016.
The State Duma of the Russian Federation today ratified the document signed in Moscow last November, outlining the creation of a joint group of armed forces between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region.
Georgia is strongly condemning the ratification of an illegal military deal between Russia and Georgia’s western de facto Abkhazia region that envisages the creation of joint military troops between Russia and the occupied area.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has today released a special statement, "strongly condemning” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision yesterday to sign a military deal between Russia and Georgia’s western de facto Abkhazia region on the creation of joint military troops.
The United States Department of State says it "strongly opposes” the ratification of a military deal between Russia and Georgia’s western de facto Abkhazia region on creation of joint troops.
Military personnel from Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) may soon serve in the Russian army.