Foreign Ministry calls on int’l community to take measures against illegal activities of occupation forces in Georgia
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani visited another village of Gugutiantkari near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region where the occupation forces have erected artificial barriers.
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The Georgian Foreign Ministry is concerned by reports that the locals of the village of Akhalubani, in Gori Municipality, have been kidnapped near occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) yesterday.
The foreign ministry said that considering the existing “tense situation” in Gugutiantkari, another village of Gori Municipality, where the occupation forces have erected artificial barriers, kidnapping and illegal detention of Georgian citizens is “a clear attempt to destabilise the situation in the country”.
Frequent provocations and incidents on the occupation line further escalate the security environment and the existing grave humanitarian situation in the conflict-affected villages”, the foreign ministry stated.
It, therefore, called on the international community to take “effective measures to stop illegal activities of the occupation forces” in Georgia.
It also called on the Russian Federation “to immediately stop its illegal activities” and withdraw its forces from the Georgian territory to ensure “sustainable peace and security” on ground.
David Zalkaliani visited the village of Gugutiantkari where the occupation forces have erected artificial barriers. Photo: Georgian Foreign Ministry
Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said after meeting with the locals of Gugutiantkari yesterday that Georgia has “a very strong international support” and the illegal activities of the occupation forces has been condemned by a number of countries.
He said the foreign ministry is using all of its tools and mechanisms on the local and international levels and is providing its international partners with updates about the situation 24/7.
Seven Georgian citizens have been detained near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region for “illegally crossing the border” today. All of them are the locals of the village of Akhalubani, Gori Municipality.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the resumption of “borderisation” in the Georgian village of Gugutiantkari, Gori Municipality, near the occupation line is “worrying to see”.
The Foreign Ministry of Poland “expresses its concern" over the resumption of the installation of artificial barriers "by Russian-backed de facto authorities in Tskhinvali", in the village of Gugutiantkari, Gori Municipality, near the occupation line.
Ambassadors of different countries to Georgia unanimously condemn the creeping occupation of Georgia by Russia and call on Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw troops from Georgia. The ambassadors of Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Israel, Brazil and Japan have visited the village of Gugutiantkari, Gori Municipality today to observe the illegal ‘borderisation’ Russian occupants have been carrying out since August 7.
Yet another Georgian citizen has been detained near the village of Akhalubani, in Gori Municipality, close to occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region for “illegally crossing the border” today. Ioseb Dvalishvili, who is the local of the village of Mejvriskhevi, was taken to Tskhinvali jail together with the other seven people who were detained late yesterday.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) told Agenda.ge that the de facto authorities of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region have confirmed the detention of eight people on the evening of August 17 and morning of August 18 near the village of Akhalubani, in Gori Municipality via the mission’s hotline.
The Russian occupation forces have returned to the village of Gugutiantkari in Gori Municipality and continue to erect a so-called ‘border’ started on August 7. Gori Municipality Mayor Konstantine Tavzarashvili visited the area and stated all state agencies are working to stop the illegal ‘borderisation’ process.
Eight Georgian citizens who were detained near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region for “illegally crossing the border” on August 17 and 18 have been released. The Georgian Interior Ministry official Vazha Siradze said all of them feel safe and will soon return to their families.
“The erection of fences by de-facto authorities of South Ossetia backed by Russian border guards in the vicinity of Gugutiantkari village hinders freedom of movement and will deprive people from the local area from accessing orchards and water resources”, the European Union Delegation to Georgia stated.
Russian occupation forces have resumed work on a so-called ‘border’ they have erected in the village of Gugutiantkari in Gori Municipality. They are currently fortifying the so-called border. Dozens of border posts have been erected by occupation forces since August 7, when the work first began.
Fifteen states have released a joint statement condemning the ‘presidential elections’ Georgia’s Russia-occupied Abkhazia region held yesterday. The countries have called on Russia to withdraw its recognition of the ‘independence’ of Russia-occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions of Georgia. Poland was the initiator of the statement the 15 states have released today.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry is concerned that the “occupation forces occupied the hilltop in the vicinity of the village of Chorchana, installed a so-called ‘border’ sign and stepped up works to deploy a so-called checkpoint there”.