11 years since the Russia-Georgia war: Georgian MFA calls on Russia to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity of Georgia
Today the Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding the date, saying that 11 years on from the war, Russia still continues its occupation. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Eleven years have passed since the most tragic day in the recent history of Georgia – the beginning of the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in 2008.
Although the physical confrontation started on August 8, developments started on the evening of August 7.
Today the Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding the date, saying that 11 years on from the war, Russia still continues its occupation and practical annexation of two Georgian regions, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).
- Read the full statement here.
Eleven years ago, military aggression, which completely ignored the fundamental norms of international law, was an attempt to forcefully change the borders of the sovereign state, which seriously threatened the region and the European security system as a whole”, read the statement of the Foreign Ministry.
Statement by @MFAgovge on #Aug2008War: 7 August 2019 marks 11 years since t/ large-scale military invasion of the Russian Federation in Georgia & the illegal occupation of Georgia’s indivisible regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia https://t.co/9nrCBA15g1
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) August 7, 2019
The statement reads that the Russian Federation has not yet implemented the August 12, 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and still continues to violate international obligations.
Furthermore, Moscow is reinforcing its illegal military presence and hampering the creation of international security mechanisms in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia. At the same time, it is taking steps towards de-facto annexation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, while trying to isolate people living on the occupied territories from the rest of Georgia.”, reads the statement.
The statement reads that the ethnic discrimination and harassment of the Georgian population remaining in the regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali is of concern, including the prohibition of education in their mother tongue and insults against their dignity by forcing them to change their ethnic identities.
It added that despite all of this, the government of Georgia is faithful to its policy of peace and is trying to solve the conflict peacefully through diplomacy, negotiations and dialogue.
The Foreign Ministry also said that Georgia is grateful to all its international partners and appreciates their support for the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Finally the Foreign Ministry calls the Russian Federation to fulfil the August 12, 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders.
Consequences of Russian aggression in 2008 in Georgia include:
- Human loss: 412 killed on the Georgian side – including 170 military servicemen, 14 policemen and 228 civilians.
- 1,747 wounded on the Georgian side – including 973 military servicemen, 227 policemen and 547 civilians.
- Three journalists killed, six journalists wounded.
- 130, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) – out of which 26,000 are still denied the right of return. [Overall, the number of IDPs from both occupied regions is now close to half a million].
- 35,000 houses burned, ruined and destroyed.
- 125 more villages have been occupied since the August 2008 war.