Georgia condemns opening of Russian polling stations in occupied Abkhazia, Tskhinvali
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Georgian Foreign Minister has released a statement condemning the opening of 33 polling stations in the Russian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) for today’s Russian presidential elections.
This is yet another clear example of occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali and an illegal step towards annexation”, the ministry said.
The ministry said those living in the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali were given Russian passports illegally in 2000s, while due to ethnic cleansing, hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees still lack the right to return to their original homes.
With these steps the Russian Federation fully violates the United Nations (UN) charter, the Helsinki Final Act and rudely violates the fundamental norms and principles of international law such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders and interference in domestic affairs”, the ministry said.
Calling for the international community to condemn Russia’s illegal steps in Georgian occupied regions, the foreign ministry believes Russia undermines international order.
From 9 pm on Saturday until 6 am on Monday, individuals will be temporarily unable to use the crossing-point between Georgia and its Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali. Photo by Mzia Saganelidze/RFERL
- Earlier, the de-facto administration of Tskhinvali announced the closure of the crossing-point between the breakaway region and the rest of Georgia due to presidential elections in Russia.
- From 9 pm on Saturday until 6 am on Monday, people have been temporarily unable to use the crossing-point "due to increased security measures".
Locals of the Russian occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) cannot use the crossing-point between the breakaway region and the rest of Georgia for a couple of days.
The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation has responded to Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili’s recent appeal to act jointly to resolve the complicated situation concerning Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili’s death in occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
"I urge the leadership of the Russian Federation to take joint steps and resolve this complicated situation”, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has said. This August marks the 10th anniversary since the war of 2008, which according to PM Kvirikashvili "has left a tremendous mark on the Georgian people’s minds and Georgia-Russia relations”.
Locals of the Russian occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) cannot use the crossing-point between the breakaway region and the rest of Georgia for three days.
The United States (US) Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly said it is inadmissible to carry out any activities in the Russian occupied regions of Georgia – Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) - without the consent of the Government of Georgia.
Vladimir Putin has received 94.1 percent of votes in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region, local media has reported.
Vladimir Putin has received 92.8 percent of votes in Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, local media has reported.
Georgia has expelled one of 10 Russian diplomats serving at the Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Tbilisi in a show of solidarity with the United Kingdom (UK) over a recent nerve agent poisoning on the territory of UK, referring to the case of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Georgia and Russia have no direct diplomatic ties since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war and Switzerland is the third country mediating diplomatic issues between the two countries.
The Georgian State Security Service wrote in its annual report released today that the presence of Russian forces in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions is the "major threat” to the Georgian state.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin told Fox News on Monday that Russia would react "extremely negatively” to the membership of Georgia and Ukraine in NATO.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has stated that Russian propaganda and the information war is not a challenge only for Georgia, but also for European countries.