Georgia's Foreign Ministry Calls on Russia to Withdraw Armed Forces from Occupied Territories

On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the August War, Georgia's Foreign Ministry has urged Russia to "stop illegal actions, implement the ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, and withdraw its armed forces from Georgia's occupied territories."

"On the 14th anniversary of the occupation, Russia has not yet fulfilled the ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, which was signed under the mediation of the European Union, and continues to expand its illegal control over the occupied regions," the Georgian Foreign Ministry stated.

The ministry calls on Moscow to revise its illegal decision to recognize the occupied territories, according to Novosti-Georgia agency. "Gross violations of fundamental human rights, ethnic discrimination, and the continued violation of the right of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes in Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions remain a heavy humanitarian burden of Russia's occupation," the statement reads.

At the same time, the Foreign Ministry reaffirms its policy of peaceful resolution of the Russo-Georgian conflict, noting that the actions of official Tbilisi are aimed at restoring trust between the divided societies along the lines of occupation and shaping a common European future.