Georgia, Ukraine pay for their choice with occupation of territories – Ambassador

Georgia chose NATO, and paid for its choice with Abkhazia. Ukraine has chosen the European Union and now has ongoing conflict in the east of the country. These conflicts have occurred following each country’s own choice, the choice of values, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Ukraine Mikheil Ukleba says.

On the eve of the 7th anniversary of the Russian occupation of Georgian territories, Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, the Ambassador met with the journalists and told them about his take on occupation in Ukraine and Georgia. The Human Rights Information Center correspondent reports on the scene.

According to the Ambassador, the aggression of the Russian Federation was caused by Georgia’s intention to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). “Russia wanted us to change the direction,” Mikheil Ukleba said. However, Georgia did not change its intentions.

August 7, 2008, the Russian military forces occupied certain territories of Georgia allegedly to protect citizens of the Russian Federation. A state in military conflict cannot join NATO. Hundreds of villages were destroyed and about 300,000 Georgians were forced to leave their homes as a result of Russia’s intervention.

Numerous cases of infringement upon freedom from torture and ill-treatment, violations of the right to freedom of movement and residence, illegal detentions, and prolonged violations of property rights were recorded by the Foreign Ministry of Georgia concerning the human rights situation in the occupied territories in January-June 2015.

Russia has currently the status of a formal peacekeeper in the occupied territories, and any international observers have not been yet allowed to visit the occupied territories.

The Ambassador also stated he had information on the deployment of heavy weapons of Russia’s military forces in these areas.

According to him, Russia began to foment conflicts in the territory of Georgia in the early 1990s, striking Ossetian and Georgian people together. Later, Russia applied the methods of economic warfare and arranged various provocations against the Georgian government. About 2,500 Georgian citizens were illegally deported from the territory of the Russian Federation.

Mikheil Ukleba also believes that Russia began to carefully prepare for the war with Ukraine after the August events in Georgia in 2008. Ukraine, though refused to join NATO, has also suffered because of its European choice. The signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was the formal excuse for unjust annexation of Crimea and stirring military conflict in the east of Ukraine.

The ambassador considers that the conflicts of Georgia and Ukraine with the Russian Federation have occurred because of the country’s own choice, the choice of values. “Shall we go to the mausoleum, where Lenin lies? But we want to go to the EU, where 28 civilized countries live,” Mikheil Ukleba stated.

As for the prospects for the return of the occupied territories, the Ambassador noted that Georgia had taken a stand of strategic patience and acted within the legal framework. “Georgia responds with success. Unreformed, corrupt country cannot beat back the Russia’s challenges. We need to work much to conduct reforms. This is just the beginning of a long journey. Our success would be a good example for the occupied territories,” Mikheil Ukleba said. The Ambassador also highlighted the similarity of the situations in Ukraine and Georgia, and expressed the hope that Ukraine would cope with the reforms and so could emerge from the current conflict.

Photos taken at the exhibition dedicated to the 7th anniversary of the occupation of Georgia