De facto Tskhinvali representative Murat Jioev says Georgia’s proposal of vaccine delivery is ‘political propaganda’
Georgia, which has received 43,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and 29,250 doses of Pfizer vaccine, enables the target groups to choose between those two. The country is also expecting to receive the Sinopharm vaccine next month. Photo: cominf.org.
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Representative of the de facto president of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on post-conflict issues, Murat Jioev, said Georgia is offering a quantity of vaccine that is not enough for the region and ‘this is nothing more than political propaganda’.
South Ossetia does not expect any help from Georgia and does not even want it”, Jioev said, reacting to the proposal of the Georgian authorities to vaccinate residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia against coronavirus on Tbilisi controlled territory.
- Elderly, medics from Georgia’s occupied regions allowed to undergo Covid-19 vaccination on Tbilisi-controlled territory
- Occupied Abkhazia, Tskhinvali reject offer from Tbilisi to vaccinate health workers, elderly
Jioev also said that Georgia tried to offer assistance a year ago, but even then, representatives of de facto Tskhinvali explained that they were ready to cooperate with international organisations that were really ready to provide assistance to South Ossetia, ‘which would be delivered to the republic only from Russia’.
Jioev said that at the Geneva discussions, the issue of vaccination was not raised, although the representative of Georgia mentioned it in one phrase.
On March 30, Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, Tea Akhvlediani said that medical workers and individuals above 65 residing in Georgia’s Russia-occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions would be able to undergo Covid-19 vaccination on Tbilisi-controlled territory.
Later after the offer de-facto Abkhaz officials stated that they are looking forward to the assistance from their ‘strategic partner’ – Russia.
Georgia, which has received 43,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and 29,250 doses of Pfizer vaccine, enables target groups to choose between the two. The country is also expecting to receive doses of the Sinopharm vaccine next month.
The de-facto leadership of Russian occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have rejected an offer from Tbilisi to vaccinate health workers and people above 65. Both occupied regions have stated in response to the offer from the Georgian officials earlier today that they are expecting to receive ‘reliable’ vaccines from Russia.
Medical workers and individuals above 65 residing in Georgia’s Russia-occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions will be able to undergo Covid-19 vaccination on Tbilisi-controlled territory, Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, Tea Akhvlediani said earlier today.
Mass Covid-19 immunisation is expected to start in Georgia in July, announces Head of the Georgian National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze, adding that it does not mean that getting the vaccination against coronavirus will become mandatory.
State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has urged the residents of the Russia-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions to follow recommendations of the World Health Organization, saying that the Georgian government is ready help them prevent the spread of COVID-19 if the need arises.
Georgia has reported 499 new cases of coronavirus, 437 recoveries and seven deaths in the past 24 hours.
The Democracy Research Institute (DRI) has called on the Georgian authorities to immediately draw up an effective plan to manage the difficult epidemiological situation in Georgia’s Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region.
A number of schools and kindergartens have suspended their classes due to confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia's Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, RES media has reported on Tuesday.
All schools in the cities of Gagra and Sokhumi in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region have suspended their classes due to confirmed COVID-19 cases.