Ruling party head calls Lukashenko’s visit to Russian-occupied Abkhazia region “deplorable and severe” step
In his comments over the matter, Kobakhidze noted the position of the Georgian government over the development was “clear”, adding the visit had violated the country’s law on the occupied territories. Photo: Georgian Dream Press Office
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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.
In his comments over the matter, Kobakhidze noted the position of the Georgian government over the development was “clear”, adding the visit had violated the country’s law on the occupied territories.
The main thing for us is that the extreme red line is not crossed, and this is related to the policy of non-recognition. Belarus still does not recognise the so-called independence of Abkhazia, and it is fundamentally important for us that this position be maintained. Each of our steps should be taken according to this, even when it comes to reaction”, the GD official told PalitraNews TV.
Kobakhidze also said the Belarusian side had later reported that Lukashenko had visited not Abkhazia but “historical places of the Black Sea coast”.
This move in itself is an indication of something, that is, that we can have hope of seeing the policy of non-recognition being maintained. In this regard, everything must be done from our side”, he concluded.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.