US representative at UN calls on Russia to cease recognition of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia, Tskhinvali regions
The American diplomat noted the Russian aggression against Georgia in 2008 had “upended the lives and livelihoods” of millions of Georgian civilians. Photo: US Department of Labour
Tweet 
Share
The United States representative at the United Nations on Wednesday called on Russia to cease its recognition of independence of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions and fulfil its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement.
Christopher Lu made the calls at a UN General Assembly meeting, stressing the US was “pleased” to be a co-sponsor of a resolution on the status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, adopted by the Assembly on Wednesday.
Today, the U.S. stood up for the rights of hundreds of thousands of people displaced from Russian-occupied regions of #Georgia. Now more than ever, as Russia expands its aggression into Ukraine, we need to defend refugee rights and territorial integrity. #UN pic.twitter.com/pwTOaHaUZN
— Ambassador Chris Lu (@AmbUNReform) June 9, 2022
The American diplomat noted the Russian aggression against Georgia in 2008 had “upended the lives and livelihoods” of millions of Georgian civilians.
Many individuals could not return to their pre-conflict homes because of the brutal and unjustified war of choice by the Russian Federation. Its aggression has now been expanded to Ukraine. The United States supports Georgia’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders”, he said.
Lu also called the presence of Russia’s occupation troops in the two regions a “threat”, and called on the Russian Government to withdraw its forces to the pre-2008 conflict borders, a part of the ceasefire agreement Russia signed to end the war.
The Russian Federation and de-facto authorities in the two regions need to maintain human rights and create secure conditions to allow the return and integration of internally displaced people. The United States supports human rights and dignity of internally displaced persons and refugees everywhere”, the American official concluded.