Presidents at the Occupation Line

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli 

On July 19, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, during his official visit in Georgia, arrived in the villages on the occupation line together with the President of Georgia. The Presidents started the visit from the village Odzisi, adjacent to the occupation line in Akhalgori municipality, from where they could see the Russian military base constructed after the 2008 August war.

The president of Georgia informed the guest about the situation of people living in the occupied territory and alongside the occupation line.

From Akhalgori municipality, Petro Poroshenko and Giorgi Margvelashvili went to Khurvaleti village in Gori municipality.

“You are our strength and hope, as you stand very stubbornly here,” the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili addressed Davit Vanishvili, resident of occupied territory in Khurvaleti village.

“In the evening they will come and argue with me for having met you,” Davit Vanishvili told Giorgi Margvelashvili and Petro Poroshenko. He added that the so-called border officers prohibit him to approach the barbed wires and to talk with people. 

Giorgi Margvelashvili and Petro Poroshenko protested the Russian occupation on the ABL. The President of Ukraine said the occupied regions of Georgia reminded him of his country and Donbas region. 

“It is not occupation line, it is not division line, it is gap dividing the past and future.

Look into the eye of this man; he is a victim of the Russian aggression. On the one side we see the highly developed Tbilisi, resort places, investors, happy people, rise in economics, visa-free regime, association agreement and on the other side we see tears, violation of human rights, people, who even cannot get medical service. It is huge motivation for us to restore territorial integrity both in Ukraine and Georgia and we will do all our best for it. It is also very important that I came here during my visit to tell the people that they are not alone, we stand with them,” the President of Ukraine said.

The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, on behalf of the Ukrainian people, declared the strong support to the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Georgia.

 

“Today, we, the presidents of two proud nations, stand at the occupation line. Our nations do not stand the Russian aggression and cynic behavior of the Russian soldiers, who wish to break our determination and moral, but neither Georgian nor Ukrainian peoples have ever surrendered. They have huge strength and similar occupation lines will destroy. Our states will be united again and will be as sovereign and independent as it is recognized by all states across the world except Russia,” the President of Georgia said.

President of Ukraine arrived in Georgia on July 18 and left on July 20.