Tbilisi condemns more installations of barbed wire fence
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, August 14
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Georgia has condemned the recent installations of barbed wire fence along the occupation line in breakaway region of Abkhazia, namely, on the territory adjacent to the villages of Khurcha and Shamgona, Zugdidi District.
The ministry said in April this year, the occupation forces carried out the preparatory works adjacent to populated Georgian villages, which resulted in installed barbed wire fences on the abovementioned segment in the period of August 9-11. The length of fences reached 800-900 meters.
The statement of MFA reads that after the closure of four so-called crossing points in Abkhazia region, the process of installation of barbed wire fences along the occupation line represents a part of Russia’s “deliberate policy to further isolate the population living in the occupied region and to hinder the peace processes by any means.”
“This action of the Russian occupation forces grossly violates the fundamental rights of the local population, restricting their freedom of movement and access to education and health care, which will further complicate already difficult humanitarian situation in Abkhazia region,” the ministry stated.
Official Tbilisi urges the Russian Federation to cease its aggressive steps against Georgia. To respect the principles of the international law and its undertaken commitments to de-occupy the territory of Georgia taking steps for the peaceful conflict resolution with respect to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ministry also appeals to the international community to properly assess and respond to the actions of the Russian occupation forces, which are directed to the “factual annexation of territories of the sovereign state and damage the security environment as well as the international order.”
Georgia’s State security service (SSS) also commented on the issue, saying the installation of barbed wire fence restricts locals’ rights and directly hits security environment at the scene.
“We confirm the fact of illegal installation of barbed wire at Khurcha-Nabakevi. It represents continuation of the illegal process of the so-called borderization,” the SSS stated.
Georgian President’s Advisor Tengiz Pkhaladze believes that the steps taken by the Russian Federation are extremely ‘outrageous’.
“Georgia will never adapt to infringement of our territory and we use all international mechanisms in order to end the policy conducted by Russia towards Georgia, causing problems for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Pkhaladze stated.
The installation of new barbed wire fence at Khurcha-Nabakevi so called border by the occupants claimed two more hectares of the Georgian land.
