Georgia Expresses 'Deep Concern' over Installation of Fences at S.Ossetia Administrative Border

Georgia Expresses 'Deep Concern' over Installation of Fences at S.Ossetia Administrative Border

The Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed its deep concern over the installation of wire fences by the Russian occupation forces across the Tskhinvali region's occupation line.

It said in a statement that erecting fences in the vicinity of the villages of Ditsi and Dvani, represents a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law, primarily of Georgia's territorial integrity and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders, as well as of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement.

These illegal activities disregard and violate the right of free movement and other civil, social, economic and cultural rights of people residing in the occupied regions and in the adjacent areas. Such a provocative action causes all the more particular concern against the background of the grave security and human rights situation and the absence of international mechanisms in Georgia's occupied regions, the Foreign Ministrys statement reads.

The Foreign Ministry has called on Russia to stop the wire fence installation activities and to comply with the provisions of the 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and with its commitments under international law.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is determined to immediately inform the International Organizations and Georgia's foreign partners on the grave situation in Georgia's occupied regions so that they could take due action on the aforementioned illegal activities, the statement reads.

A senior Georgian Dream lawmaker, Tedo Japaridze, who chairs parliamentary committee for foreign affairs, has condemned installation of fences across the South Ossetian administrative boundary line and said in a statement on May 28 that these activities point at illegality persisting on the occupied territories, which may pose a serious threat to the stability in the region.

MP Japaridze has called on the international community to pay a special attention to the developments on the ground and to react on illegality reigning on the Georgian territories occupied by Russia. He has called on Russia to follow its commitments under the 2008 ceasefire agreements and to cease military occupation of the Georgian territories. MP Japaridze called on the Georgian Foreign Ministry to intensify efforts through Georgias diplomatic missions to provide information about the situation on the ground to the international community.

Meanwhile President Saakashvili said in a speech at the Georgian Defense Academy on May 28, that he was not blaming the government for ongoing installation of fences by the Russian troops across the South Ossetian administrate border. Some UNM lawmakers said on May 27 that current situation on the administrative border was a result of governments unilateral concessions vis--vis Russia.

Russia has its own plan which it sticks to regardless of what the Georgian government did last week, Saakashvili said. Of course it is not the governments fault, like it has not been anything our fault in previous years. We should know that it is Russias plan and we should know what we are doing [in response]. First and foremost we should not weaken our legal positions, not to soften law on occupation.

Read more:
Georgia Expresses 'Deep Concern' over Installation of Fences at S.Ossetia Administrative Border