The Russian Federation has declared the breakaway Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, seized by Moscow during the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, will never be part of the nation of Georgia again.
“Russia has not invaded your territory. When your so-called president [Salome Zurabishvili] writes on a social network that Russia is an enemy and an occupier, can you imagine any talks about normal relations? Abkhazia and South Ossetia will never be part of Georgia again. Remember that very well. They will never be your regions again,” said Russian senior lawmaker Pyotr Tolstoy said in an interview with the Georgian television broadcasting company Rustavi-2. Tolstoy heads the Russian delegation at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
“Russia will be supporting their independence. Tell those who are running with anti-Russian slogans around Tbilisi that Abkhazia and South Ossetia will never return to Georgia. This will never happen,” he said commenting on a series of rallies ongoing in Tbilisi since June 20, reported Russian state news agency TASS.
Recent civil unrest in Georgia was caused by a Russian official being allowed to give a speech in the Georgian parliament. Russia sanctioned the former Soviet republic over the unrest by preventing further flights from Russia to Georgia, which had previously enjoyed a healthy tourist industry from the Russian Federation.
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