Georgian President meets Danish FM: “occupation couldn’t stop Georgia’s move to Europe”

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has met with Danish FM Jeppe Kofod, who is visiting Georgia, and stated at the meeting in Tbilisi  that the Russian occupation of Georgian Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region could not suspend Georgia’s move towards Europe.

 

“Russia’s aggression has not stopped Georgia from moving towards Europe, and the recently opened  ‘window of opportunity’ is the EU’s rightful response to this aggression,” Zourabichvili said, referring to Georgia’s decision to apply for EU membership along with Ukraine and Moldova.

 

Kofod has reaffirmed his full support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and European integration, saying that Georgia is a European country with its place in the European family.

 

The Danish Foreign Minister also met with his Georgian counterpart today and  commented on the possibility of holding a referendum in occupied Tskhinvali to join Russia.

 

“The Strasbourg court has made not only a political but also a legal assessment of the occupation of Georgian territories,” Kofod said, referring to the recent verdict of the European Court of Human Rights which says that the regions are occupied by Russia and that the latter is exercising effective control there.

 

De facto Tskhinvali government said yesterday that they have plans to unify with Russia and that a referendum will be held for this.

 

The Kremlin claims that they “have not taken any legal or other action in this regard,” but noted that they “respect the wish of the South Ossetian (Tskhinvali) people.”