Foreign Minister of Estonia Said the Elections in Tskhinvali Region Were Illegitimate

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

On April 24, the members of the Estonian Government’s delegation visited the Khurvaleti village in Shida Kartli in the frame of their official visit in Georgia. They studied the situation alongside the occupation line. The Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser and the delegation members received the information about the situation alongside the occupation line from Kakha Kemoklidze, representative of the State Security Service. The delegation members talked with Davit Vanishvili, 83, whose house is now on the other side of the occupation line. The Foreign Minister of Estonia made a statement to declare his support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. Sven Mikser made a remark about the recent elections in Tskhinvali region and said it was illegitimate.

Sven Mikser, Foreign Minister of Estonia: Estonia, EU and the international community in Georgia supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia; we must stand with Georgia to deescalate the tension. The process of annexation in the occupied territory and so-called elections are illegitimate and we hope the situation will be peacefully solved with the support of all international formats.”

“The delegation members were able to see the problems alongside the occupation line and ABL caused by the barbwires or illegal fences,” Kakhaber Kemoklidze said. 

It was the second official visit of foreign delegations in Khurvaleti village for the past two days. On April 22, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin visited the village.

“It is very difficult to see this situation on the place. I experience the same feeling as I had during my visit in Donbas near the division line. Donbas is also occupied by Russia. It is symbolic that there are barbwires in the places which are occupied by Russia. We have occupied territories. Unfortunately, in Ukraine gunshots are still heard and people, our heroes are killed every day. I want to express my deep condolence and particular respect to those people who fought against the Russian aggression, for the independence and freedom of Georgia,” the Foreign Minister of Ukraine said.