President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson Visits Occupation Line with Georgian State Minister Thea Akhvlediani
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, March 7, 2024
President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, visited the village of Odzi near the occupation line during his official visit to Georgia, along with Minister of State of Georgia, Thea Akhvlediani.
The Office of the Minister of State reported that President Jóhannesson learned about the security situation at the occupation line in Odzi. He received detailed information from the Minister of State and representatives of Georgia's State Security Service about the situation in the occupied regions and efforts made by the Georgian government for peace.
Thea Akhvlediani stressed the importance of maintaining collaborative efforts with international partners, crucial for safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of the conflict-affected population. This includes ensuring free movement and the unconditional, immediate release of illegally detained Georgian citizens.
"It is essential and extremely important to inform international partners about the severe consequences of the ongoing illegal occupation in Georgia, as well as to actively involve them and maintain their continued support in the process of peacefully resolving the conflict. Consequently, significant emphasis is placed on the visit of the President of Iceland to the occupation line, where he had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the security situation, gross violations of fundamental human rights, and humanitarian challenges. He also received information about the illegal barriers erected along the dividing lines, the prohibitions imposed on free movement, and the illegal detentions, including violations of the lives of our citizens. Additionally, we introduced the President of Iceland to the efforts of the Georgian government in terms of de-occupation, as well as the implementation of reconciliation and peace initiatives," Akhvlediani stated.
"This is a beautiful part of this beautiful country, and people here should be able to move freely and live together peacefully. This should be everyone's wish. My visit today may be somewhat symbolic, and what I can say is that we should not tolerate such a situation. A solution needs to be found, and the international community must understand its obligations," said President of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson.
