OSCE Permanent Council, CoE ministers’ deputies condemn Russia’s illegal actions in occupied regions

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 statement was made in Strasbourg, France on January 31 at a meeting of CoE deputy ministers and the OSCE Permanent Council.

Condemning Russia’s illegal actions as yet another step towards the factual annexation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, the parties agree that relevant measures need to be taken against Russia’s illegal steps in Georgia’s Russian occupied regions.

In particular, the parties condemned

• Ratification of an illegal military deal between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali
• Opening an illegal customs point in Akhalgori and created a specialized customs post in Sokhumi.

The members of the OSCE Permanent Council and the CoE ministers’ deputies from the European Union (EU), Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Great Britain, Lithuania, France, Finland, Latvia, Germany, Czech Republic, Moldova, US and Canada expressed their firm support towards Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

The international community condemns Russia's illegal actions in the occupied regions of Georgia. Photo from the Council of Europe's webpage

Georgia believes that with the above mentioned policy the Russian Federation continues to violate the Russia-Georgia Ceasefire Agreement signed on August 12, 2008, hinders the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the achievement of progress at the Geneva International Discussions.

• 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.