US congressman: Lukashenko’s visit to illegally occupied region of Georgia contradicts international norms

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.

In his comments with the Georgian edition of American Voice, Kinzinger noted the move was “nothing surprising” from the current leader of Belarus, but it was “important” that the international community sent out “clear messages” regarding the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia.

Kinzinger stressed that the “despot” from Belarus was acting as “dictated” to him from Moscow, though the international community should make it clear that Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia regions “were and always will be” territories of Georgia.

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.