'Russia Causes Threat in Georgian Breakaway Regions'

On Sunday it alleged that a Georgian police check point came under fire at border of Abkahzia, village of Ganukhuri. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia commented on the instance of the Georgian police check point being fired upon from the territory that is controlled by Russian forces (breakaway region of Abkahzia, Gali district).

The Georgian check point that was fired at is situated in the village of Ganmukhuri. The shooting started at 8 a.m. on January 4. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that bullets from machine guns as well as RPGs and mortars and these were came from the Pichora village, Gali District. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed.

The Ministry has numerously claimed that Russia as well as its puppet regimes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia assault Georgians near the break away territories and according to the ministry this aims at provoking Georgians and tensing the situation in the region where the situation is tensed and complicated both  way. This is a chain of unlawful activities due to which 10 Georgian law enforcers have been killed since August and the end of armed hostilities between Russian and Georgian forces. However, scores of civilians have wounded and many Georgian border regions and neighboring break away regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

It is obvious to the international community that Russia and its military forces have created threats in Georgian occupied territories. It is also obvious that in order to avoid this threat international monitoring of the territories that are occupied and controlled by Russia is the task that first needs to be addressed.

International observers must enjoy the free right of movement on the entire territory of Georgia and mainly in occupied regions and implement their mandates. The Georgian side underscores once again that it is essential to make effective security mechanists work in a timely fashion. In the end Russian side must fully follow August 12 cease fire agreement and all Russian soldiers must leave the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its protest against the recent alleged Russian provocation. The Ministry is hoping that Georgia together with the international community will provide security guarantees in both breakaways and avoid uncontrolled and dangerous developments that continue to exist in these regions.