Border fence construction in Dvani
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Tuesday, September 24
The border fence construction work in the village Dvani, in the Kareli region is underway. Russian occupants moved the border several hundred meters using barbed wire. However, they gave 2 days to the local residents for harvesting, but later changed their minds and said that people had only until the evening. If the construction is not stopped, most of the arable land will be left behind the fence. Georgian police officers were mobilized in the area while the population finished harvesting to ensure their safety.
Representative of the de facto South Ossetia, Murman Jioevi, said that this is a common procedure for border lining. "According to the Ossetian Constitution, this is our territory," stated Jioevi. He also warned the local population not to cross the border.
The Georgian Interior Ministry calls on Russia for an immediate suspension of these activities. “The Georgian Interior Ministry expresses deep concern over this process and stresses that in spite of the repeated statements and the protests of Georgia and the international community, Russian troops continue the construction of barbed wire and the installation of fencing,” the statement said.
The Georgian Interior Ministry protests the moving of fences inside the territory controlled by Georgia's central authorities.
Russia has resumed the demarcation work and representatives of the Information-Analytical Department of Georgia's Interior Ministry are in place to study the situation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA), Maia Panjikidze, said that their reaction will be as rigorous as it was in previous times and will do everything they can in condemning Russians’ actions.
Minister of Justice, Thea Tsulukiani, called this a "creeping occupation". "It is a step forward, that The European Union names this fact unacceptable, we really need such statements, so that Russia can see that Georgia will never accept losing even inch of its territory," stated Tsulukiani.
The Prime Minister's Special Representative for Georgian-Russian issues, Zurab Abashidze, also commented about the wire installation process. According to Abashidze’s statement, made after the meeting with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin, right now he cannot see a way to solve the problem. He said that this was very bad for the meeting. “My Russian colleague has his own view from Russia’s position. He had information that the Georgian side had initiated everything. We have our information and the installation of barbed-wire fences is out of norms of the 21st century,” stated Abashidze.
