The FINANCIAL — Question: How would you comment on the statement made by the press and information department of the Russian Federation regarding a special meeting held under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism on 20 July?
Answer: A special meeting under the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism was held in Ergneti to discuss the illegal installation of so-called border signs by the Russian occupation troops in the Georgian territory.
The Russian Federation continues to impose on us its own reality resulting from its large-scale military aggression against Georgia in 2008 and still persists in referring to Georgia’s integral territories – Abkhazia and, in this particular case, the Tskhinvali region as “independent republics”. We would like to reaffirm once again that Russia is Georgia’s only neighbor to the North which holds 20 percent of the Georgian territory occupied and is carrying out is policy of creeping annexation.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns Russia’s illegal and provocative actions in the territory of Georgia aimed at infringing the rights of the local population, deteriorating the security situation on the ground and hindering confidence building measures. These actions contradict the fundamental principles of international law, as well as the international commitments undertaken by Russia, including under the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement which stipulates the unconditional withdrawal of Russian armed forces from the territory of Georgia.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry emphasizes that Georgia will never tolerate the occupation of its own regions and will employ all peaceful methods, with the international community’s support, to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Georgia once again demands from the Russian Federation to abstain from similar provocations and to start de-occupation of the Georgian territories, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.
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