War Anniversary: Tbilisi Slams Moscow’s ‘Propagandistic Narrative’

The Georgian Foreign Ministry slammed today remarks by the Russian Foreign Ministry on the 13th anniversary of the Russo-Georgian war as attempts to come up with “another disinformation and propagandistic narrative.”

Aleksandr Bikantov, Deputy Spokesperson of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID) called yesterday Western concerns about the Russian occupation of Georgian regions as “theses torn off reality.” The Russian official also called on Tbilisi’s foreign partners to “abandon the unpromising line of ‘reintegration’ of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into Georgia” and reiterated the Russian narrative putting the blame for starting the War on Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. He said Moscow is ready to restore relations with Tbilisi “to the extent to which the Georgian side is ready for.”

“If something goes against equal and good-neighborly relations” between Russia and Georgia, it is “Russia’s aggressive policy, its unlawful occupation of Georgian territories, the violation of the territorial integrity of our country and breach of inviolability of internationally recognized state borders,” asserted the Foreign Ministry of Georgia.

“The future of good-neighborly relations” between the two countries depends on Russia reversing recognition of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, and ending the occupation, the statement added.

The Georgian Ministry further noted “there is no parallel reality,” and that the international community and international law are “uniform in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions, occupation and the process of de-facto annexation.”

The Georgian MFA also criticized the August 4 Facebook post of the MID, marking the anniversary of the 1783 Treaty of Georgievsk under which the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti became the protectorate of the Russian Empire. The Russian MID claimed the treaty “contributed to the strengthening of Russia’s foothold in the Caucasus and marked the beginning of the unification of the fragmented Georgian lands.”

The Georgian MFA called the social media post “cynical and absolutely unacceptable,” saying Russia has started annexation of Georgian territories and capturing lands in the South Caucasus “in breach of this very treaty.” “It is unfortunate that, centuries later, Russia’s goal remains to annex territories of others,” the statement added.

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