Tomorrow marks the ninth anniversary of the most tragic day in Georgia’s recent history – the beginning of the five-day war between Russia and Georgia on August 8 in 2008.
Although the physical confrontation started on August 8, developments started on the evening of August 7.
Today the Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding the date, saying that nine years on from the war and Russia still continues its occupation and factual annexation of two Georgian regions, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).
The statement said that illegal detentions take place along the occupation line on a daily basis; Georgian farmers are unable to reach their agricultural lands due to Russian-erected barbed-wire fences and other artificial obstacles; Georgian children are unable to get education in their native language in some Georgian schools in the occupied area.
"The Russian occupational regime tries to isolate people living in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region and purposefully prevents them from having any humanitarian contacts with the rest of Georgia and the world”, the statement read.
It added that despite all of this, Tbilisi is faithful to its policy of peace and tries to solve the conflict peacefully through diplomacy, negotiations and dialogue.
"Thanks to this rational and peaceful approach, despite of the above-mentioned hardest challenges, the government of Georgia has managed to ensure the sustainable democratic and economic development of the country, achieved stability and peace on its controlled territory and kept walking towards the European and Euro-Atlantic integration”, the statement read.
The Foreign Ministry also said that Georgia is grateful to all its international partners and appreciates their support the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The agency extended its condolences to the families and friends of the soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.
The Russia-Georgia war resulted in the death of 228 Georgian civilians, 170 soldiers and 14 police officers.
The war displaced 192,000 people in Georgia. Many were able to return to their homes after the war but several years since then and more than 20,200 people remain displaced.