Georgian Foreign Minister attends OSCE informal ministerial in Austria

Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze participates in the OSCE informal ministerial in the Austrian city of Mauerbach.

On the #OSCE informal Ministerial FM talked about #GEO's occupied regions & the challenges #Georgia & the region face in terms of security pic.twitter.com/fbnLpwcrR6

— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) July 11, 2017

Addressing the participants today, Minister Janelidze spoke about Russia’s aggressive steps against the OSCE member states including Georgia. He said having occupied the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), conflict that is underway in Ukraine or annexation of Crimea, Russia grossly violates the fundamental principles of international law and threatens stability in Europe.

Russian Federation, following the illegal intensive militarisation, is absorbing Georgian occupied territories creating direct military threat to security environment in Georgia and the entire region”, Minister Janelidze said.

• See also: Georgian Foreign Ministry: "Russia continues to grossly violate international law”

Janelidze said Moscow’s constant refusal to follow its international obligations and its antagonistic attitude towards creation of security mechanisms on the ground increases his concerns.

Human rights situation at the [Russian] occupied territories worsens day after day. Moreover, the occupant tries to isolate these regions from [the rest of] Georgia through illegal borderisation that is still underway”, Minister Janelidze said.

Per the OSCE official webpage, Austrian Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman Sebastian Kurz has invited his colleagues from the 57 OSCE participating states "exchange views on threats to security, as well as on current developments. In addition to the conflicts in the OSCE area, the main topics will include migration, terrorism, human rights, rule of law and democracy”.