Georgian PM hails Govt's reconciliation, confidence-building policy on Abkhazia Day
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday congratulated his country’s citizens on Abkhazia Day. Photo: Government press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday hailed his Government's policy of reconciliation and confidence-building between communities affected by the conflict in the country’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in remarks on Abkhazia Day.
Extending messages of celebration to “our Abkhaz compatriots” on the day marked since 2019 with the initiative of Ilia II, the Catholics Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, the head of the Government named "restoration of trust" with the country’s citizens living in the region as his office’s “key priority” before a future reintegration of the occupied territories.
We have one history and culture, common values and a desire to strive for our children's better future. This is what gives us hope that the restoration of mutual respect, trust and friendship will make us a strong, united, developed and European country”, said the PM.
Abkhazia was the same epicenter of an armed conflict in the early 1990s with the involvement of Russia that killed between 13,000 to 20,000 ethnic Georgians and approximately 3,000 ethnic Abkhaz, with more than 250,000 Georgians becoming internally displaced or refugees and about 2,000 going missing.
Following its invasion of Georgia in August 2008, Russia recognised Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) - the epicenter of the latest conflict - and Abkhazia as independent states.
Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have joined the Russia’s stance over the past 15 years, while the rest of the international community is unanimous in its recognition of the regions as occupied parts of Georgia, and has called on Russia to respect the conditions of a ceasefire agreement signed with Tbilisi in August 12, 2008 and withdraw its troops from the regions .
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday visited the Tbilisi memorial of those who died in conflicts for the territorial integrity of Georgia, as part of events marking the 29th anniversary of the fall of Sokhumi, the capital of Georgia’s north-western region of Abkhazia, in the 1992-1993 war in the region currently occupied by Russia.
Today Georgia is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Abkhazia War, which ended with the territory becoming a breakaway region of Georgia and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced.
Georgia’s policy focused on “peace, mutual respect and dialogue” will bring the country “closer to the day” when we continue to build a “united, strong, peaceful, democratic state” along with “Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers”, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Sunday in connection with the 30th anniversary of the Abkhazia War, which ended with the territory becoming a breakaway region of Georgia and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili on Monday voiced messages of “unity” to mark Abkhazia Day with Georgian citizens, and in particular with “Abkhaz brothers and sisters” in the occupied north-western region.
Bilateral economic relations between Georgia and Qatar and investment opportunities were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Georgian Government’'s “clear and principled” message was that the “only way” to reintegrate the Russian-occupied regions of the country went through “peace, reconciliation and development”.
Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Tuesday highlighted the unity with Abkhazian compatriots by “common history, culture and traditions” in her remarks on Abkhazia Day.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday highlighted the Government’s “reasonable and peaceful policy” with regards to the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions of the country and said the vision was “focused on restoring trust” between communities divided by conflicts in the territories, in his message for the 31st anniversary of the 1992-1993 war in the former.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said restoring the territorial integrity of the country was the “main national task” of the Government, in comments over the 31st anniversary of the 1992-1993 war in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.