The President Says Georgian Occupied Regions Should not be Beyond International Monitoring
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, June 21
The Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili told OSCE ambassadors on Wednesday that the country’s occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali should not be left beyond the international monitoring.
The President of Georgia Administration reported that special attention was paid to security problems and the current situation in the country’s occupied territories.
“The issues related to kidnapping, torture, human rights violations in the occupied territories were also discussed at the meeting,” the president’s press office announced.
“The meeting touched upon the specific steps that should increase the role of the international organizations, and especially of the OSCE, in context of the current security situation in the regions,” the press office said.
The President’s Administration stated that Margvelashvili provided the OSCE ambassadors with the detailed information about the policy Russia is implementing in the region and thanked the ambassadors for the assistance Georgia sees for its territorial integrity, sovereignty and non-recognition policy.
Russia and the de facto authorities of the occupied territories do not allow any international missions.
Only the European Union Monitoring Mission observes the situation near the occupation lines.
A group of 25 Permanent Representatives to the OSCE are travelling to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan from 18 to 22 June.
In all three countries, the ambassadors are meeting with representatives of the national authorities and parliaments, as well as with civil society.
“In particular, the visit aims to reconfirm the ambassadors’ support to stability, peace and prosperity in line with OSCE commitments and principles as well as their support to the OSCE’s past, current and potential future engagement in each of the three countries,” the OSCE web page reads.
