Syria to lose US funding for recognising occupied territories of Georgia

The US state department has included Syria in a list of countries that recognise the independence of occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, therefore Syria  will no longer be eligible to receive US funding, an official statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia says.

The reason behind the ban is a US legislative act adopted on May 2017, which supports Georgia’s territorial integrity.

No country can receive funding from the United States if it recognises the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occupied by Russia, or establishes diplomatic ties with them independently of Georgia, says the document.

Syria announced its decision to establish diplomatic relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia in May 2018.

The MFA statement says this is a clear message to the world community that territorial integrity and sovereignty is one of the main fundamental norms of international law and should be respected by all.

The same sanctions were imposed against Nauru in the current year and against Venezuela in 2017.