The Georgian Foreign Ministry is denouncing the signing of yet another illegal cooperation deal between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region.
On May 18, Russia and the de-facto leadership of Abkhazia signed an agreement about establishing a joint information and coordination center of the interior ministries of Russia and Abkhazia. The document is about “Formation and Rules of Informational and Coordination Center of Internal Affairs Agencies.”
The joint Russian-Abkhazian center will initially have a staff of 20 people and the director’s position will be filled on a rotating basis between Russia and Abkhazia, Sputnik-Abkhazia reports.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemns the document signed between Russia and the Occupational “regime” in Sokhumi. The Ministry has released a statement, saying the so-called agreement totally disregards fundamental principles and norms of international law such as sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders.
“The so-called agreement fully neglects such fundamental norms and principles of the international law as sovereignty of the country, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders. This is the deliberate actions of the Russian Federation to hinder and impede peaceful politics of the Georgian Government, which is supported by the International Community. Such actions are encouraging destabilization in the region and are harming the international negotiations of Geneva”.
According to the statement, creation of the joint-forces and now, merging the investigative and law enforcement agencies by Russia, serves as a clear sign of the process of annexation. The Ministry stressed that the “illegal processes” that are taking place in Georgia’s occupied regions stress the urgency of firm and consolidated international efforts.
“Illegal actions which are taking place in the annexed territories of Georgia, once again, show the need of strong and consolidated international efforts. We are addressing the international community to take actions concerning the prevention of annexation and de-occupation of Georgia,” writes Foreign Ministry in its official statement.
As Georgia’s Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Issues Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has declared, Georgia and the international community perceive the so-called agreements between Moscow and breakaway regions as illegitimate.
The Minister has responded to the reports on planned signing of a new agreement between Breakaway Abkhazia and Russia.
According to Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili the issue is not new at all. It has been discussed for a long time.
“The issue is problematic for the Abkhazian society and this is also a well-known fact,” Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has said.
It added that such actions contribute to the destabilization of the situation in the region.
The so-called agreement between Russia and de facto Sokhumi was signed on Thursday by Abkhazia’s de-facto interior minister Aslan Kobakhia and Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov.
