Tbilisi Holds Consultations on Delivering Humanitarian Aid to Syria

The Georgian government is holding consultations with the United Nations on delivering humanitarian aid to the people affected by the conflict in Syria, Georgian officials announced.

“We will have meetings with the UN… and within Georgia’s capacities, plan how to deliver the humanitarian aid,” Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, Davit Zalkaliani told reporters on Monday.

Earlier on December 17, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said when commenting on the situation in Aleppo: “we are trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the children through the UN Office.”

Georgia’s UN Ambassador, Kakha Imnadze emphasized that Georgia has “a clear” and “a consistent” position, that entails “constant promotion of the humanitarian aspect in the Syrian conflict.”

The situation in Aleppo aggravated particularly after President Bashar al-Assad’s forces defeated the opposition groups and gained control of the city.

The Republican Party was the first to release a statement on December 17 calling on the government and the parliament to assess the situation in Syria, to condemn Russia’s involvement “in the bloody conflict” and assist the children affected by the conflict.

On December 19, the United National Movement submitted the draft of the Parliament’s statement on the grave humanitarian situation in Aleppo and requested to put it on this week’s parliamentary agenda, but the initiative was rejected by the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia lawmakers for procedural reasons.

During the debates held at the parliamentary bureau session, Parliamentary Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze offered UNM lawmakers to postpone the issue for next week’s session.

Vice Speaker Sergi Kapanadze of UNM, acknowledged the existence of procedural constraints, but requested accelerated discussion of the issue citing its significance. Another UNM lawmaker, Salome Samadashvili said that GDDG “uses” procedural issues, because “it does not want to adopt a statement because of political considerations.”

“The issue raised by our colleagues is very important,” MP Zviad Dzidziguri of GDDG said and added that “I do not think that we will lag behind the processes, if we discuss the text of this statement a week later.”

MP Irma Inashvili of the Alliance of Patriots criticized the UNM lawmakers for raising the issue without revealing its content in advance. “It seems that you are trying to drag us into a provocation,” she addressed UNM lawmakers.

The draft statement developed by UNM lawmakers reads: “[the Parliament of Georgia] expresses concern over the grave humanitarian and political situation” in Syria, shares the position of the international community, according to which “the existing grave situation should be resolved as soon as possible” and calls “on all parties involved in the Aleppo crisis to ensure the opening of the humanitarian corridor for evacuation of peaceful population remaining in the conflict zone.”

The draft statement condemns “military and political interference of the Russian Federation in the ongoing processes in Aleppo that further aggravates the humanitarian and political crisis,” as well as “Russia’s destructive role in the UN Security Council that hampers the international community’s effective interference in the humanitarian crisis.”

The draft statement also calls on the Georgian government “to actively voice its position on the international arena” in connection with the Syrian developments, “render humanitarian assistance to peaceful population of the country and receive refugees from Syria.”