Georgian gov’t launches new peace initiative for occupied Tskhinvali, Abkhazia
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The Government of Georgia has proposed legislative changes for improving the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the populations in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The aim of the initiative is to improve cooperation across the occupation line.
Introducing the new peacemaking initiative called Step Towards a Better Future, PM Kvirikashvili said this is "an unprecedented step in our country's peaceful stable development”.
It is yet another open statement on our part to reaffirm that the peacemaking political trajectory pursued by our government will surely continue which, despite many challenges, remains our unwavering, consistent, and continuous trajectory", the Georgian Prime Minister announced at today’s government meeting.
This photo taken by Agenda.ge photographer Nino Alavidze features two internally displaced women getting ready to bake bread in Tserovani IDP settlement near Tbilisi.
According to Kvirikashvili, the package of legislative amendments on peacemaking incorporates three key directions:
- Enhancing and simplifying trade along the boundary lines through creating new opportunities, including encouraging joint business initiatives
- Creating additional opportunities for quality education and simplifying access at every level of education both at home and abroad
- The creation of a mechanism simplifying access to the benefits and goods available to Georgia resulting from the country's development, including European integration, visa waiver, free trade rights, and others.
Kvirikashvili said by taking this step, the government is dealing with serious challenges and aims at building confidence to step up the process of reconciliation.
The Georgian Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili spoke broadly about the new initiative, highlighting how important it is for the local population suffering from conflict situations for years.
Today, the government of Georgia makes an open and determined statement that its peaceful policy is unwavering and the existing challenges are to be dealt with peace, development, principled stance, consistency and concrete steps”, Tsikhelashvili stated.
She stated that the package of draft legislative amendments is a new, proactive and important step in the frames of peace policy of reconciliation and engagement. Its top priority is providing for peace, confidence building between conflict-split communities and care for the population, who is suffering from the gravity of the unresolved conflict on either side of dividing lines on a daily basis.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has appealed to anyone having information on people who went missing due to the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia region and 2008
Russia-Georgia war to inform the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Today Georgia is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Abkhazia War, which ended with the area becoming a breakaway region of Georgia and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced.
The General Assembly of the United Nations has recognised the right of return of all internally displaced persons and refugees in Georgia and their descendants to their homes throughout that country, including Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.
Georgia’s Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia, Sozar Subari, is taking part in the 66th meeting of the Executive Committee of Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.
The EU delegation to Georgia and the German Embassy have applauded the Georgian government’s peace initiative to improve the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the people in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
A number of countries have praised the Government of Georgia for its legislative changes aimed at improving the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the populations in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Slovenia has joined the number of countries that have praised the Government of Georgia for its legislative changes aimed at improving the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the populations in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Researcher of the US Heritage Foundation Luke Coffey says that the US government can take steps to help the Georgian government carry out its peace initiative ‘A Step Towards a Better Future’, which aims to improve the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the populations in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The Georgian Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has stated at the international Georgian Defence and Security Conference that NATO is not only a choice for Georgia, but that the country has no alternative.
The central Georgian government has simplified the procedure to receive a Georgian passport for individuals residing in the Georgian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Airbnb has e to remove listings in Georgia’s regions of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia, occupied by Russia.
Residents of Georgia’s occupied region of Abkhazia region brought 53-year-old deceased Gocha Tupuria near the Otobaia-Orsantia bridge earlier today for his relatives standing on the other side of the bridge to mourm, as they were deprived of the right to enter the occupied territory, Radio Atinati reports.
Airbnb will continue to allow listings throughout the two occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and South Ossetia, announces the Airbnb.
The legitimate Government of Abkhazia, which is in exile in Tbilisi, will now be headed by Ruslan Abashidze, replacing Vakhtang Kolbaia. Abashidze was the First Deputy State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia since January 2019.
Forty graves will be exhumed in Georgia’s occupied region of Abkhazia in the west of the country to take DNA samples and to try to identify the individuals buried there, reports the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
It is universally known that in 2008,Russia carried out open, large-scale military aggression against Georgia, containing which became possible as a result of the unwavering support of the international community, primarily the United States and the European Union.Here, at the UN headquarters, everyone is well aware that 20 percent of Georgia's integral territories—Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region—are occupied by Russia,” Gakharia said.