Georgian PM: Russia illegally occupies 20% of Georgia’s territory, nothing justifies its actions

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said Russia was illegally occupying 20 percent of Georgia’s territory and that nothing could justify its actions.

In his remarks over the 17th anniversary of Russia’s military aggression against Georgia in August 2008, Kobakhidze criticised the then-United National Movement Government, saying its representatives had stated that they were engaged in military actions against separatists and were thanking Russia.

“Tomorrow, if we were to enter [occupied] Tskhinvali or Sukhumi, it would be our crime and our betrayal because it would be a reckless provocation”, the PM noted.

“From early in the day, the United National Movement was announcing that they had military operations with separatists and that Russia was acting well. This is what the UNM party was claiming”, he concluded.