Tbilisi has expressed its negative attitude toward Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Abkhazia due to start on April 18.
This visit “is a provocative step,” Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze told reporters.
“The international community unambiguously supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russian foreign minister’s visit to Abkhazia is a sign of disregard for international law, international norms and principles,” he said.
Georgian prime ministerial envoy for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze, for his part, told reporters on April 18 that Lavrov’s visit to Abkhazia “grossly infringes on Georgia’s sovereignty.”
“Mr. Lavrov paid similar visits to Abkhazia in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Russia has also taken other destructive steps with regard to Georgia recently. All of this is a gross violation of international law. The international community also assesses these steps the same way,” Abashidze said.
It was reported that Lavrov would travel to Abkhazia on April 18 to discuss prospects for security cooperation in light of the current situation in the region and Georgia’s NATO aspirations with the Abkhaz authorities.
