Georgia Wants Int’l Community to Condemn Moscow’s Military Deal with Sokhumi

At a meeting with foreign diplomats accredited in Tbilisi on February 18, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze called for condemning signing of a military treaty between Moscow and Sokhumi.

“The Georgian side called on the representatives of diplomatic corps to join a statement by an official representative of NATO, who noted that the North Atlantic Alliance condemns this treaty,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

The Georgian MFA was referring to remarks by NATO spokesperson, Carmen Romero, who, according to Reuters, called on Russia to reverse the military deal with Sokhumi and said it was a violation of the EU-mediated ceasefire accord.

"We do not consider any agreements signed between the Russian Federation and the regions of Georgia as having any validity," Reuters reported quoting NATO’s spokesperson.

In a separate statement, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that with this treaty, apart of reinforcing  military presence in Abkhazia, Russia also aimed at putting “within ‘legitimate’ frames its military occupation and annexation of the Georgian regions.”

“Russia’s pursuit of its expansionist plans poses a real threat not only to Georgia, but to the Caucasus and Black Sea regions as a whole,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

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