Georgia’s foreign office hails UN debate on Russian occupation 17 years after 2008 war

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry has welcomed discussions at the UN Security Council on the situation in its Russian-occupied territories, held to mark the 17th anniversary of the 2008 war.

At the closed session on Monday, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jenča, briefed Council members on conditions in Georgia’s currently Russian-controlled Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions and on the Geneva international talks.

The Georgian Foreign Office said on Tuesday the debate had highlighted international concern over Moscow’s continued military presence and its failure to implement the EU-brokered 2008 ceasefire agreement.

Following the session, representatives of the UK, France, Slovenia, Denmark, Greece and Latvia issued a joint statement condemning Russia’s “brutal invasion” of Georgia and its ongoing illegal occupation. The statement linked Moscow’s actions in 2008 to its current war in Ukraine, describing both as “unprovoked and unjustified.”

The countries reaffirmed their support for Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and pledged commitment to the Geneva talks as the only platform for addressing the conflict’s humanitarian and security consequences.