US senators visit occupation line in Georgia
US senators visited the occupation line in the village of Zemo Nikozi, central Georgia, earlier today. Photo: EUMM press office.
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US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman, who arrived in Georgia late yesterday, visited the occupation line near the village of Zemo Nikozi earlier today which separates the country’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region from the rest of Georgia.
The European Union Monitoring Mission accompanied the senators at the scene and briefed them about the situation on the ground.
Today, @EUMMGeorgia hosts ???????? Senators @SenatorShaheen and @senrobportman for a field visit to the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) with South Ossetia. @EUMMGeorgia_HoM just welcomed the visitors to proceed with a patrol to Zemo Nikozi village. pic.twitter.com/gwXPnH8Eig
— EUMM Georgia (@EUMMGeorgia) June 3, 2021
The senators are scheduled to meet with government, opposition and civic sector representatives during their two-day visit.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan stated yesterday that the senators are interested in Georgia’s democratic reforms and whether the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations are as strong as earlier.
First stop is in Zemo Nikozi village. ???????? @SenatorShaheen and @senrobportman are briefed on the current security situation in the area, with a focus on ‘borderisation’ activities, such as wire fences, observation posts and surveillance equipment or 'border signs' pic.twitter.com/b1zPvRUY3N
— EUMM Georgia (@EUMMGeorgia) June 3, 2021
The Georgian Ambassador to the US David Bakradze has stated that the senators’s visit is ‘timely and important.’
He said that the visit once again reaffirms the US’s firm support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its democratic advancement.