“Important” for EU to call Russia’s occupation of Georgian lands in official documents “by name” - Parliament Speaker

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Tuesday noted official documents of the European Union did not use the term “occupation” to describe Russia’s illegal actions in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions of Georgia and said it was “important” for the bloc to change the policy over the matter.  

The official’s comment came following the killing of Tamaz Ginturi, a Georgian citizen, on Monday following an illegal arrest attempt by Russian-controlled occupation forces near the village of Kirbali, adjacent to central Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali region, and arrest of another Georgian national.

• PM calls on int’l community’s “appropriate response” to Georgian citizen’s death following incident with occupation forces

Papuashvili stressed the Georgian Government was “responsible with ensuring severe security risks” in the occupied territories “did not materialise” by use of both “internal and foreign tools”.

He noted the Government was expecting international reaction to the latest incident adjacent to the administrative line separating the two regions from the rest of the country and called for punishment of the offenders after extending his condolences to the family of the deceased. 

This is a severe consequence of the occupation. That is why it is important to end it”, Papuashvili said, and added the ceasefire agreement, signed through European Union mediation by Georgia and Russia following the war between the states in 2008, had not been fulfilled by Moscow since the conflict. 

The official stressed it was “important” for the international community to “increase pressure” on Russia to force it to act in accordance with the document and withdraw its troops from Georgian territories.