EU condemns Russian Foreign Minister's visit to Abkhazia and South Ossetia

[News_Editor]

EU condemns Russian Foreign Minister's visit to Abkhazia and South Ossetia

2011-04-29 01:37:24 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Union on Thursday condemned the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the disputed Georgian regions.

"The European Union notes with concern that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, has paid a visit to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia without prior consent of the Georgian authorities," said a spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.

Lavrov arrived to the breakaway Georgian regions last Monday for a two-day visit. The EU as most of the international community still considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Georgian territories but Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela consider them independent states.

"The EU does not consider these visits compatible with the principle of territorial integrity. The EU reiterates its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and underlines the importance of a peaceful conflict resolution," Ashton's spokesperson added.

On April 1, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, rejected Georgia's ethnic cleansing case in South Ossetia against Russia.

The decision was taken due to the lack of evidence of a genuine attempt by either Russia or Georgia to negotiate a settlement to the dispute before complaining to the court.

On August 12, 2008, Georgia filed an accusation against Russia for allegedly violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in the disputed republic of South Ossetia. Russia filed objections in response in December 2009.

Georgia claims that Russian forces and allies killed thousands of ethnic Georgians and displaced an estimated 300,000 more in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in over two decades.

These actions led to a five-day war in August 2008 between Russia and the former Soviet Union state. Hundreds of Russian, Georgian, South Ossetian and Abkhazian soldiers were killed during the violent conflict, as well as over 160 civilians.

Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states two weeks after the conflict. Georgian forces had attacked South Ossetia in a failed attempt to bring it back under central control, after which Russia deployed its troops to protect the disputed area. There has no been any Georgia-Russia diplomatic relations since.

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