Georgia’s Foreign Ministry says Russia’s restoration work on Abkhaz railway is provocation
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, August 26
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry (MFA) has stated that the Russian Federation's attempt to fix and restore the Ochamchire-Enguri railway section of the occupied Abkhazia region was of a provocative nature.
The Ministry has emphasized that Russia had already used the railway issue for its aggressive intentions prior to the Russian-Georgian War of 2008.
“Before the war, Russia illegally launched the restoration of the railway section and used it to bring its soldiers into Abkhazian territory.
“Russia subsequently successfully used the troops in the course of the August 2008 war,” the MFA stated.
The Ministry has appealed to Russia to respect international law and meet the ceasefire agreement signed between Russia and Georgia after the war that envisages leaving the occupying regions by Russia.
The MFA also addressed the international community and requested that they appropriately react to the issue and would not allow any repeated aggression on Georgian soil.
Georgia’s Defence Minister Tina Khidasheli shared the vision that Russia might use the railway issue for any of its own interests.
“The fact is one more violation of the international standards and the law by the Russian Federation carries serious risks,” she said.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated that 500 soldiers and 50 units of technical equipment are involved in the recent works on the railway that was closed in 1992 through the Georgian-de-facto Abkhazian conflict.
