We must “openly” say “no” to occupation, return countries to int’l order - Parliament Committee Chair to OSCE PA

We must “openly say no to” occupation and violation of the rules of international law and make every effort to return the countries to the international order, Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Saturday told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

At the session, held in Yerevan, Botchorishvili highlighted the “particular importance” of peace and security for the South Caucasus region, expressing hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan would “find a way” to ensure sustainable peace in the region.

In her address, the Committee Chair stressed that the killing of a Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi during an attempt of illegal arrest by the Russian occupation forces was “another reminder of what occupation is”.

Georgia has been experiencing Russian aggression, occupation and the painful consequences of war for years. There are still Russian soldiers on our territories, whose presence is neither fair nor justified”, she noted, adding that hundreds of thousands of people were “forcefully” displaced from their homes.

Botchorishvili said it was important to remember that “what we are seeing in Ukraine is a continuation of the actions that Russia has used in Georgia for 30 years”, adding “Russia's ambitions threaten our common security”.