Georgia PM “strongly” condemns Belarusian president’s “visit” to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia
In his tweet, Garibashvili said “this step” violated Georgia’s law on occupied territories and contradicted with international law, as well as “bilateral relations” between Georgia and Belarus. Photo: Government administration
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Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday “strongly” condemned Belarusian president, Aleksandr Lukashenko’s “visit” to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region and his meeting with the representatives of the occupation regime in the region's capital city of Sokhumi.
In his tweet, Garibashvili said “this step” violated Georgia’s law on occupied territories and contradicted with international law, as well as “bilateral relations” between Georgia and Belarus.
I strongly condemn Aleksandr Lukashenko’s “visit” to Abkhazia region of ???????? occupied by ???????? and meetings with the Russian occupation regime. This step violates ????????’s law on occupied territories & contradicts with int’l law as well as bilateral relations between our countries.
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) September 28, 2022
The Georgian foreign ministry expressed “deep concern” over the visit and summoned Anatoly Lis, the ambassador of Belarus to Georgia, demanding “additional clarifications” from the Belarusian side on the development.
Earlier today, Lukashenko held a meeting with the representatives of the occupation regime in Bichvinta, a resort town in the region.
Georgia will never accept a “step back” from its “unwavering” supporter of territorial integrity, Belarus had a “strong position” on the matter until now, Mikheil Sarjveladze, the ruling Georgian Dream party MP told reporters on Wednesday.
Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday “strongly” condemned her Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Lukashenko’s visit to Georgia's Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.
The Georgian foreign ministry on Wednesday expressed its “deep concern” over the visit of Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus to Georgia's Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia and his meeting with the representatives of the occupation regime in the region's capital city of Sokhumi.
Anatoly Lis, the ambassador of Belarus to Georgia, was summoned to the Georgian foreign office on Wednesday after a visit of the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.
Ned Price, the United States state department spokesperson, on Wednesday said the US remained “steadfast” in its support for Georgia and for its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and called on Russia to reverse its recognition of the occupied territories.
Foreign officials and diplomats on Wednesday strongly condemned the visit of Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, to Georgia's Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia and expressed their support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Georgian defence minister Juansher Burchuladze on Wednesday said Tbilisi would have “the strictest reaction” to the recent visit of Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region, where he met with de facto authorities to discuss “prospects for bilateral cooperation”.
Irakli Chikovani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the visit of Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia on Wednesday had pushed relations with Belarus to a “red line”.
Popular Force, a public movement composed of former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party who exited the team in June, on Thursday condemned the “so-called visit” of Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia on Wednesday, calling the move “extremely wrong and unfriendly”.
Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the external affairs of the European Union, on Thursday said the bloc condemned “very strongly” the visit of Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia on Wednesday.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger, the co-chair of the Georgia Caucus of the United States House of Representatives, on Thursday said the visit of the Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to the illegally occupied region of Georgia contradicted international norms.
Georgian parliament speaker Shalva papuashvili on Friday said it was “important” that Belarus, which had committed itself to the policy of non-recognition of Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories, remained within the framework of the policy, following a visit by president Aleksandr Lukashenko to the occupied Abkhazia region this week.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the visit by Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region this week was a “deplorable and severe” step.
The Georgian state ministry for reconciliation and civil equality on Tuesday said the government would cover home heating expenses in the winter for the country’s conflict-affected population and continue to fund studies for students living behind and near the occupation line for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Georgian foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday said the foreign ministry had taken “all the relevant” diplomatic steps regarding the visit of Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in September.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the visit of a delegation of the parliamentary assembly of Belarus and Russia to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region was “disturbing”.