Georgian PM thanks China despite Its abstention from voting on UN resolution for IDP return

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday expressed his gratitude to China for abstaining from supporting a recent UN resolution on the right of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Georgia’s occupied regions to return to their homes. Kobakhidze noted that the number of supporters for this humanitarian resolution has been increasing annually.

“Last year, for the first time, we achieved triple-digit support for the resolution. This year, we had a record number with 103 countries supporting it. This success is largely due to the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I extend my thanks to the minister, the entire ministry, and each diplomat involved,” said Kobakhidze.

The Prime Minister specifically thanked China for maintaining its previous position by abstaining from the vote. “China firmly recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, which is its official stance,” Kobakhidze added.

A joint statement on the establishment of a strategic partnership between Georgia and China was published on July 31, 2023. On June 4, during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a resolution initiated by Georgia and 63 other countries was adopted. The resolution pertains to the status of IDPs and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia.

Since 2008, Georgia has been submitting this resolution. This year, it received the highest number of supporting votes since its inception, with 103 countries in favor, up from 100 last year. Notably, Armenia supported the resolution for the first time this year, having previously abstained or voted against it. South Africa and Argentina also joined the resolution for the first time this year.

Nine countries opposed the resolution: Russia, Belarus, Burundi, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Cuba, Mali, Nicaragua, and Syria. Fifty-three countries, including China, abstained from voting.

The resolution condemns the forced demographic changes in Georgia’s regions occupied by Russia, affirms the right of IDPs to return to their homes with dignity and safety, regardless of ethnicity, and emphasizes the need to respect and protect their property rights.