Tbilisi says that no customs crossing point can be opened at the occupation line between breakaway Tskhinvali region and the rest of Georgia because this kind of facility can only operate at a state border.
Tbilisi’s statement came a day after the de-facto leadership of occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) announced that it plans open a customs point in Akhalgori to monitor goods coming from Georgia.
The State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said today that the only state border between Georgia and Russia lies at Caucasus Ridge, thus no customs crossing point can be opened at another location.
"This would be legally and politically impossible”, she said.
Tsikhelashvili said that for Georgia it is important not to limit but further simplify goods turnover between the occupied region and the rest of Georgia.
Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that the initiative of opening a customs crossing point in occupied Akhalgori poses a threat to the fundamental rights of the people living there.
"This is yet another attempt by the Russian federation to put the occupied regions in its sphere of economic influence. We want for movement [in these areas] to be as free as possible and we will do our best to achieve this”, he said.
Zalkaliani added that the Foreign Ministry will use all opportunities to bring this issue to the interest of the international community.
Yesterday, the de-facto head of Tskhinvali’s so-called customs committee Murat Tskhovrebov said that a customs point will open in the municipality of Akhalgori to monitor the amount and quality of goods coming to the region from Georgia.