Ukraine’s President views occupation line, a “gap between past and future”

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko visited the occupation line in Georgia’s eastern Khurvaleti village, located near the country’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.

Poroshenko viewed the area with Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili early in the morning and stressed the line was a "gap between past and future.”

This is an occupation line, this is a dividing line, and this is a gap between the past and future. This is a result of Russia’s aggression,” Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko shakes hand with a Georgian man whose land was divided into two by Russian-erected barbed-wire-fences. Photo by President Margvelashvili's press office. 

On the one hand we see flourished Tbilisi, hotels, resorts, investors, happy people, Georgia-EU Association Agreement, visa free travel in EU and on the other hand, on the other side - tears, the violation of fundamental rights, no medical services… This is the greatest motivation for us to restore Ukraine’s and Georgia’s territorial integrity,” Poroshenko added.

Georgia’s President responded that neither Georgians nor Ukrainians have ever stepped back and such occupation lines "would definitely be demolished.”

We, two presidents, stand at the occupation line…Two presidents of two proud nations, who have never tolerated Russia’s aggression and cynicism,” Margvelashvili stated.

Margvelashvili stressed that Georgia and Ukraine will be as sovereign and integrated as it is recognized by the international community.