Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine Reaffirm Support to Georgia
Foreign Ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine visited Georgia on August 6-7 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Russo-Georgian War and reaffirm their support to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Latvia’s Edgars Rinkēvičs, Lithuania’s Linas Linkevičius, Poland’s Jacek Czaputowicz and Ukraine’s Pavlo Rozenko participated in a round table meeting organized by the Georgian Foreign Ministry – “For Lasting Peace and Security – 10 Years since the Russia-Georgia War.”
The foreign officials also traveled to the occupation line near village Odzisi adjacent to Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, paid tribute to fallen soldiers and held meetings with President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and Parliamentary Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze.
FM #Czaputowicz: We want to walk in the footsteps of late President Lech Kaczyński’s historic visit to Tbilisi on 12 August 2008. He was joined by Presidents of Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, and PM of Latvia in an unprecedented manifestation of support for #Georgia. pic.twitter.com/L1TO4XHHe8
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs ?? (@PolandMFA) August 6, 2018
Upon conclusion of their visit, the four ministers issued a joint communique, reaffirming their countries’ “unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”
“Ten years after the Russian military aggression against Georgia, Russia still has not implemented its commitments towards Georgia, as agreed under the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement. Consequently, Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia are still de facto occupied by Russia and the creeping annexation of these regions continues,” the document reads.
The ministers then called on Russian Federation to comply with its commitments and the international community “to stand united in supporting Georgia and to continue to demand that Russia fully and without any further delay implements its international commitments and starts honoring international law and the right of sovereign neighboring states to choose their own destiny.”
Speaking at a joint press briefing today, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said the visit of four ministers “during one of the most tragic events of the country’s contemporary history” was “yet another expression of their friendship and support to Georgia.”
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)