The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has issued a statement expressing its "deep concern” over the illegal installation of a so-called border sign across the occupation line in the breakaway Tskhinvali region, in the area of Bershueti village, Gori district, as a result of which several local farmers’ agricultural lands have now partially fallen beyond the occupation line.
The Ministry says that this is a continuation of the illegal process of so-called borderization, which not only restricts the fundamental rights of local residents but considerably damages the security situation on the ground and obstructs Georgia’s efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
"Despite the international community’s repeated calls, the Russian Federation continues to grossly violate the principles of international law and its commitments undertaken under the Ceasefire Agreement of 12 August 2008”, the statement read.
"This fact and the general situation in Georgia’s occupied regions and adjacent territories once again points to the necessity of establishing international security arrangements and creating human rights monitoring mechanisms on the ground”, it added.
The Ministry also called upon the international community to duly assess the situation in Georgia’s occupied territory and take respective measures to stop Russia’s illegal actions.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia will use all levers at its disposal, including within the framework of the Geneva International Discussions and international organisations, not to let the aforesaid action of Russia remain without due international assessment and reaction”, the statement said.
Russian occupation forces deployed in central Georgia moved the occupation line further into Georgian territory yesterday.
They illegally placed a new so-called border sign in the village of Bershueti, which saw about 10 more hectares of Georgian soil in the heart of the country become occupied by Russia.