Georgian FM: blatant violations of international norms must not go unanswered

The tragic reality we are witnessing today in the heart of Europe requires greater efforts to restore peace in the region - blatant violations of international norms must not go unanswered, said on Tuesday Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maka Botchorishvili.

The Minister participated in the diplomatic conference in The Hague launching the International Claims Commission for Ukraine, under the auspices of the Council of Europe.

According to Minister Botchorishvili, Ukraine must be equipped with the appropriate instruments to obtain compensation for the damage inflicted upon the country and its population as a result of the unjust war.

“Georgia, as a founding member of the Register of Damage, welcomes this step towards the establishment of an international compensation mechanism, of which the International Claims Commission will become an integral part”, the Minister noted.

In her address, Botchorishvili also drew attention to Georgia’s own difficult experience, noting that the country understands better than most the importance of upholding international norms and the high price societies pay in the face of injustice.

“Even today, we continue our struggle and make use of existing legal mechanisms to ensure that the violated rights of our citizens, resulting from Russia’s occupation of two regions of Georgia, are not forgotten. Despite numerous decisions by international courts holding Russia responsible vis-à-vis Georgia, it continues to disregard international law and its international obligations”, she continued.

Botchorishvili also underscored Georgia’s steadfast commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and highlighted the importance of a unified response from the international community in this regard.