A joint statement of 16 countries of the OSCE expressed its support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia August War.
The war between Russia and Georgia started on August 8, 2008, and lasted for five days. 408 Georgian people died in the armed conflict and about 26,000 people were left internally displaced.
The statement mentioned that 13 years have passed since Russia invaded and occupied Georgian territories and called on Russia ‘to immediately fulfill its obligation under the ceasefire agreement and withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions.’
The Group of Friends of Georgia have once again expressed their concern over Russia’s ongoing military presence in occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia and called on Russian Federation to comply with the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment to allow IDPs to return to their homes ‘in safety and dignity.’
“We condemn Russia’s steps to unilaterally establish the Georgia-Russia state border on segments of the occupied territories...We urge Russia to reverse this process,” the statement reads, adding that the Group of Friends of Georgia condemn the killing of Georgian citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, and Davit Basharuli, and ‘urge the Russian Federation to remove any obstacles to bringing the perpetrators to justice’.
