Georgia concerned over Russian Deputy Foreign Minister’s interview about Georgia
Tweet 
Share
The Russian Federation continues its military occupation and illegal militarisation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), thus destabilising the situation in the entire region and violating the fundamental rights of the local population, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister David Dondua said.
Dondua made the statement in response to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin’s recent interview with Kommersant newspaper where he said Russia will not withdraw its recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Calling Karasin’s comments "concerning”, Dondua said such an attitude once again emphasises how Russia neglects Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and avoids its fulfillment of the Russia-Georgia Ceasefire Agreement signed on August 12, 2008.
The Georgian Government makes constructive steps for the peaceful regulation of the conflict in the frames of the Geneva International Discussions as well as the bilateral informal dialogue [with Russia]”, Dondua said.
Georgian-Russian relations can be normalised through Russia’s relevant constructive policy respecting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, he further noted.
In the interview Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin said Russia’s decision about the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states is final and will not be changed.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and the other Georgian breakaway region of Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) as independent countries after a military armed conflict with Georgia in 2008.
As of today, only four countries recognise Georgia’s breakaway regions as independent republics; these are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the ratification of an illegal military deal between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) that envisages the creation of joint military troops between Russia and the occupied region.
Georgian President Giorgi Margevlashvili went to the occupation line between Georgia and its Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) to send New Year wishes to a family living behind the barbed wire fence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Russian occupied region of Georgia – Abkhazia on the ninth anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war, Russian news agency РБК said.
The Russian occupation forces deployed in central Georgia have moved the occupation line further into Georgian territory. This step saw about 10 more hectares of Georgian soil in the heart of the country now become occupied by Russia.
The United States (US) condemns the Russian Federation’s ratification of an agreement with the de-facto leaders in Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) that envisages the creation of joint military troops between Russia and the occupied region.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns the opening of customs points in Georgia’s Russian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). The Russian occupation forces have opened an illegal customs point in Akhalgori and created a specialized customs post in Sokhumi.
The OSCE Permanent Council and the Council of Europe’s (CoE) ministers’ deputies condemn Russia’s recent illegal steps in the occupied regions of Georgia - Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). The parties agree that relevant measures need to be taken against Russia’s illegal steps in Georgia’s Russian occupied regions.
Georgia has new ambassadors to Great Britain, Germany and Greece, Georgian Foreign Ministry reported earlier today.