Georgia’s Reconciliation Minister: “It’s not creeping occupation, it’s a dynamic occupation”

Georgia’s Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that Russia’s actions on the Georgian soil are not a creeping occupation, rather "it is a very open and dynamic occupation process.”

The process has been in progress since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war,” Tsikhelashvili said.

The Minister stated immediately after coming to power in 2012 the current Georgian Dream leadership has launched "a very active international campaign and provided all efforts” to suspend the occupation.

We are doing our utmost to achieve the removal of all kinds of barriers, banners or barbed-wire-fences from  the territory of Georgia, which is a challenge not only for security, but also creates very serious daily problems for locals, many of whom lack access to their own lands,” Tsikhelashvili stated.

The Minister responded to the most recent fact of creeping occupation, when the occupants moved the occupation line further into Georgian territory, and stressed the case and many similar facts would be discussed at today’s meeting in Ergneti village.

Tsikhelashvili stated the main aim of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism Meeting in Ergneti, with the representatives of the occupant forces and de-facto leadership of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), would be solving the existing problems for locals, until achieving other strategic goals.