United Nations: The United States and seven European countries marked Friday's 12th anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Georgia with a call to Moscow to withdraw forces from Abkhazia and South Ossetia and allow medical evacuations and aid deliveries especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The western nations said after a closed briefing to the UN Security Council on Wednesday by Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca that Russia's continuing military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and its recognition of the so-called independence of the regions violates Georgia's territorial integrity and undermines its sovereignty.
Georgia made a botched attempt to regain control of its breakaway province of South Ossetia during the presidency of Mikhail Saakashvili, sparking the war with Russia that began on August 7, 2008. Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia as well as the breakaway province of Abkhazia and set up military bases there.
The US and European nations said in a joint statement that they are extremely concerned about Russia's intensification of the so-called `borderisation process' over the past year, including during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
They said Russia's actions further divide communities and put at risk the health and lives of the conflict-affected population.
Throughout this already challenging time, the de-facto authorities exercising effective control over the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have continued the practice of arbitrary detentions along the administrative boundary lines, the statement said. De facto South Ossetian authorities have repeatedly denied emergency medical evacuations and incoming humanitarian aid.
The US, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway and Ireland also expressed concern about the ongoing disinformation campaign by Russia about the pandemic and related health issues. These acts prolong the conflict, threaten peace and stability, interfere with the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and negatively impact the health and safety of people across Georgia, destabilizing the region as a whole, the eight nations said.
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky responded, tweeting that the joint statement is A beautiful fiction. But only a fiction. He made no mention of the pandemic but said Georgia's aggression which triggered all the problems for this country & the region was officially confirmed in 2009 by the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the conflict.