US state department spokesperson: Russia must reverse recognition of Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions
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. Photo: Reuters
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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.
In comments over the visit of Aleksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus to the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, Price stressed Russia “must be held accountable” for the commitments it had made under the 2008 ceasefire agreement that obligated the country to withdraw its troops from Georgian territory.
Russia must withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions and reverse its recognition of Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did release a statement today condemning the visit of Alexander Lukashenko to Abkhazia”, Price said.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday “strongly” condemned Lukashenko’s visit to Abkhazia and his meeting with the representatives of the occupation regime.
Garibashvili said the step violated Georgia’s law on occupied territories and contradicted international law as well as bilateral relations between Georgia and Belarus.
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.
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.
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.
US ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Friday said the message from senior officials in Washington “strongly condemned” the visit by Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko to the Russian-occupied Abkhazia this week.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union ambassador to Georgia, on Friday said the bloc condemned the visit of the president of Belarus to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia this week and added Aleksandr Lukashenko was “not a legitimate president” of his country.