Parliament official: only Russian troop withdrawal can resolve occupied territories issue, but unlikely in near future

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said that Russia had become more confident and active in Georgia’s occupied regions.

Samkharadze made these remarks in response to a question from a Romanian outlet about whether Russia's approach to hybrid warfare had changed over the past year.

“In recent months, particularly in Abkhazia, Russia has accelerated the implementation of infrastructure projects, such as the construction of an airport in the region. Russia has also tightened control over the occupied territories. Looking at recent developments, these changes highlight Russia’s extensive control over the occupied regions, especially in Abkhazia - not only from a military and security perspective but also in financial, social, and energy-related aspects”, the Parliament official said.

Samkharadze expressed pessimism regarding a near-term resolution to the issue of the occupied territories.

“The key to resolving the issue of the occupied territories is the withdrawal of Russian troops from these areas - Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, I do not believe that Russia intends to do so anytime soon”, he continued.

When asked about the future status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia if Georgia were offered European Union membership, Samkharadze drew a parallel with Northern Cyprus.

“If Georgia joins the EU without having regained jurisdiction over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, I believe the situation in these regions will resemble that of Northern Cyprus. In other words, the EU will recognise these territories as part of Georgia, but without any practical dimension”, he concluded.