Georgia slams Belarusian president’s visit to breakaway region of Abkhazia

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - Georgia on Wednesday slammed Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s visit to its breakaway region of Abkhazia

“This is an unacceptable violation of Georgia’s Law on Occupied Territories and of the principles of our bilateral relations and international law,” President Salome Zourabichvili wrote on Twitter.

The Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned Lukashenko’s visit and his meeting with senior Russian officials in Sokhumi.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia condemns the violation of the Georgian state border by Aleksandr Lukashenko with his so-called visit to the occupied Abkhazia region, which blatantly infringes the fundamental principles and norms of international law,” it said.

The ministry demanded that Belarus respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally-recognized borders and not take actions that contradict the fundamental principles of international law.

​​​​​​​A 13-month conflict erupted in August 1992 between the Georgian army and Abkhazian separatists supported by Russia.

In 2008, a five-day conflict referred to as the South Ossetia conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia concerning the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Tbilisi ultimately lost control of the areas and Russia later recognized them as independent states.

Georgia cut off diplomatic relations with Russia in response, after which Switzerland took up the role of a mediator country.

Both regions remain internationally recognized Georgian territories.