Georgian FM: Georgia will not accept occupation of its territories

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Wednesday said the Georgian Government would not accept the occupation of Georgian territories.

Botchorishvili’s comment followed a question regarding a call from the “separatist Abkhaz authorities” to abolish the law on occupied territories.

In her interview with Imedi TV, Botchorishvili noted that the Georgian Government also could not tolerate the violation of its territorial integrity.

She further added that the Government’s desire and goal was to find a peaceful way to live in one state with Abkhazian and Ossetian “brothers and sisters”.

“Tbilisi's answer is that we cannot tolerate the occupation of Georgian territories. We also cannot tolerate the violation of Georgia's territorial integrity, and we also say that our desire and goal is to find a peaceful way to live in one state with our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers and sisters. Somehow this issue, which concerns the occupation of Georgian territories and the territorial integrity of Georgia, must be resolved peacefully”, she said.

Botchorishvili explained that the law on occupied territories was a kind of protection mechanism for Georgia in order to somehow prevent Russia from interfering in relations with Abkhazia and Ossetia.

The top Georgian Diplomat also emphasized the importance of the recent visit of Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as the OSCE was the place where Government constantly raised the issue of the Russian occupation and there was a constant discussions on this topic with international partners.