EU external affairs spox: bloc condemns Lukashenko’s visit to Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia “very strongly”
In his remarks over the visit, the EU official stressed the move was a violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and constituted a “blatant violation” of international law. Photo: Reuters
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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.
In his remarks over the visit, the EU official stressed the move was a violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and constituted a “blatant violation” of international law.
Apart from the fact that Lukashenko lacks any legitimacy to act as a head of state, this visit was not done in consent with the Georgian authorities, which are the only legitimate authorities of the region of Abkhazia. This visit is a violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and constitutes a blatant violation of international law”, Stano told Imedi TV.
Stano also noted Lukashenko was reinforcing his image as an “outcast” of the international community as he had been sanctioned not only for the “oppression and a wide scale repression” against citizens of Belarus but also for enabling the Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory from Belarus.
Now he goes to Abkhazia as an illegitimate head of state. This is another violation of international law”, the EU spokesperson concluded in his comments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.