Russia's move to attack the sovereign country 12 years ago constitutes an attempt to change European borders forcefully, with this dealing a blow to the international system, which is built on rules, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said at the annual conference called "Georgia and the Neighbourhood."
In the Minister's words, Georgia has feared the outbreak of a war for 12 years because of Russia's inclination to constantly violate the ceasefire agreement. On top of this, new types of Berlin walls are being erected along the occupation line, according to the Minister.
"Despite Russia's actions aiming to stir up the situation and trigger destabilization, Georgia is unwavering in its decision to follow the path of the peaceful conflict resolution and makes vigorous efforts to effectively apply the format of the Geneva International Negotiations. However, Russia refuses to follow our example and engage itself in the peaceful resolution of the existing conflict. It just continues to be an observer.
Despite myriad of hindrances, the Georgian government is implementing the policy of reconciliation and engagement, aiming to rebuild trust between the societies segregated by the occupational line. A perfect example of this is the government's new peaceful initiative called "A Step to a Better Future", the objective of which is to strengthen ties between people and improve social and economic conditions of residents of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. To give a new impetus to peaceful processes, which are now in the stalemate and to contain Russian aggression, international engagement is critical, which is why we appeal to our partners to put this issue at the top of their political agenda," Minister Zalkaliani announced.
