US responds to Russia’s redoubled efforts of ‘borderisation’ in Georgia amid pandemic, attacks on Lugar Centre
The US embassy says that over the past two weeks Russian-led security forces have erected illegal barriers near 12 separate Georgian villages. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Tweet 
Share
The US embassy to Georgia has stated that as the world marks the anniversary of Georgian independence and celebrates Georgia’s success in combating COVID-19, the United States protests the ongoing, provocative ‘borderisation’ by Russian-led security forces along the occupation line of the Russian-occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.
Over the past two weeks, these Russian-led security forces have erected unauthorised fences and reinforced existing illegal ‘borderisation’ efforts near 12 separate Georgian villages,” the US Embassy to Georgia says.
The embassy stated that ‘equally disturbing’ is Russia’s ongoing disinformation campaign, including the ‘fabrication and dissemination of falsehoods’ about the Lugar Center, ‘which has played a vital, life-saving role’ in Georgia’s fight against COVID-19.
The United States will not waver in our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We renew our demand that Russia end its occupation of 20 percent of Georgia, fulfill its 2008 commitments, withdraw its forces, and stop blocking the delivery of international humanitarian assistance,” the embassy stated.
Lugar Centre is under the full control of the Georgian governmet. Photo: RFE/RL.
Russia demanded access to the US-built Lugar Centre yesterday, after being invited there many times.
The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that the centre, which is under the full control of the Georgian government, is funded and operated by the US and ‘dangerous experiments’ are being conducted there.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry responded yesterday that what Russia says about the centre, which has played a crucial role in the fight against the coronavirus, is ‘absolutely ungrounded and false.’
US Embassy: ‘we are gratified that more Georgians are learning about important work of Lugar Lab’
The ministry said that despite having no obligation, Georgia is ready to receive a delegation, within the convention on prohibition of biological weapons, including Russian experts to the centre.
Today Russia said that they want access to all blocks and documentation of the centre without the presence of any international organisations.
The Lugar Laboratory in Tbilisi will have a new test to diagnose the new China-born coronavirus 2019-nCOV starting February 4, said the head of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health Amiran Gamkrelidze.
Russia has demanded access to all blocks and documentation of the US-built, Tbilisi Lugar Centre, and once again accused the lab of ‘conducting dangerous experiments’ following yesterday's repeat invitation from Tbilisi to receive Russian experts there. Russia says that they want the visit ‘without the presence of international organisations, in a bilateral format.’
The Russian Foreign Ministry says that they are waiting for a response from Tbilisi to allow Russian experts to enter the US-built, Tbilisi Lugar Centre, which is now under the full control of the Georgian government.
Georgian Foreign Ministry says that Russia has been particularly active in its creeping annexation of more Georgian territories over the past two months and its (Russia’s) fight against the US-built Lugar Centre in Tbilisi has become intense.
Russian experts will be allowed into the US-built, Tbilisi Lugar Centre only with the presence of international delegates, within the convention on prohibition of biological weapons, and not in a bilateral format as Russia demanded earlier today, Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative in Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze told IPN.
The US Department of State has condemned Russia's redoubled efforts of ‘borderisation’ amid pandemic.
The Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the OSCE has condemned the illegal ‘borderisation’ activities of Russia and its proxies in Georgia.“Those activities, lately reinforced under the smoke screen of COVID-19 pandemic, are totally unacceptable and must stop immediately”, it stated.
Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region is studying a site near the village of Tsnelisi ‘where a Georgian drone violated a border on June 2 – 3,’ as the drone ‘could have been used to spread the coronavirus to the region.’
Leaders of the Georgian two occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali have arrived in Russia to attend celebrations dedicated to the end of WWII amid threats of the coronavirus.
Russia says it is concerned by the ‘more frequent and provocative statements and actions of Georgia’ towards currently occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions of Georgia, and accuses the US Department of State and the US Embassy in Georgia of ‘provocative activities.’
The Russian-controlled occupation forces have resumed the erection of illegal barriers in the Takhtrisdziri village of Kareli municipality, central Georgia, near the currently occupied Tskhinvali region of Georgia.