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UN / GEORGIA
STORY: UN / GEORGIA
TRT: 03:52
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 15 AUGUST 2022, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters
15 AUGUST 2022, NEW YORK CITY
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferit Hoxha, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, of Albania:
“14 years have passed since Russia's full scale military aggression and the beginning of its invasion of Georgian territories. The Russian invasion of Georgia in August 2008 marked a more aggressive trend in Russia's policy regarding its neighbouring countries and the European security architecture.”
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferit Hoxha, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, of Albania:
“We reiterate our condemnation of Russia's continuous provocations, which go in parallel with the Russian unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, the continued military presence and military drills on Georgia’s territory, the enhanced so-called borderization process, unlawful detentions and kidnappings of the local population, hinderance of freedom of movement and lengthy closures of so-called crossing points, discrimination against ethnic Georgians in Gali and Akhalgori districts, and prohibition on education in residents native language.”
4. Wide shot, ambassadors
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferit Hoxha, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, of Albania:
“We recall the judgment of the Grant Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on 21st January 2021 that has stated that given Russia is in effective control of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, South Ossetia, it is responsible for grave human rights violations, including the killings of civilians, torture of prisoners of war, inhumane and degrading treatment, preventing Georgians from returning to their homes, and failure to conduct investigations into human rights violations.”
6. Wide shot, ambassadors
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ferit Hoxha, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, of Albania:
“Today, we call once again on the Russian Federation to fully implement its obligation and commitments under the EU mediated ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008 and withdraw its military and security forces from the territory of Georgia without delay.”
8. Zoom out, ambassadors walk away
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmitry Polyansky, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“Actually, the situation of the Caucuses is very stable, so we don't have any reasons to raise this issue unless we are big fans of history. We're also fans of history, so maybe we'll also find something in the books that would be interesting to discuss the Security Council within the timeframe of UN's existence if it's okay. But coming back to the situation in Georgia, since they decided to raise it and to highlight it, I can tell you that, on the eighth of August of 2018, as you know, there was a terrible provocation of Saakashvili regime in Georgia, which resulted in the immense problems for this country and the emergence of two independent Republics. Since then, the regime has changed, and the current leaders of Georgia have already given their own assessment to what has happened then. They recognize this reckless mistake that was made by Saakashvili. They also are very much aware of the role of foreign powers in this situation. So, the only change that has happened maybe during this year or half a year is that the Western countries have blocked the Geneva international discussions which embraced Russia, Georgia and two independent republics, but this was not our choice. This was this will of course not contribute to the enhancement of situation. But we don't think that this makes the situation in the Caucasus less stable.”
8. Wide shot, Polyansky talking to press
Joined by representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and Norway, Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha today (15 Aug) said, “the Russian invasion of Georgia in August 2008 marked a more aggressive trend in Russia's policy regarding its neighbouring countries and the European security architecture.”
Speaking to reporters outside the Security Council, Horta condemned “Russia's continuous provocations, which go in parallel with the Russian unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, the continued military presence and military drills on Georgia’s territory, the enhanced so-called borderization process, unlawful detentions and kidnappings of the local population, hinderance of freedom of movement and lengthy closures of so-called crossing points, discrimination against ethnic Georgians in Gali and Akhalgori districts, and prohibition on education in residents native language.”
Recall the judgment of the Grant Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights on 21st January 2021, he said “given Russia is in effective control of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region, South Ossetia, it is responsible for grave human rights violations, including the killings of civilians, torture of prisoners of war, inhumane and degrading treatment, preventing Georgians from returning to their homes, and failure to conduct investigations into human rights violations.”
The statement read by Hoxha calls on the Russian Federation “to fully implement its obligation and commitments under the EU mediated ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008 and withdraw its military and security forces from the territory of Georgia without delay.”
Also speaking to reporters, Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said “actually, the situation of the Caucuses is very stable, so we don't have any reasons to raise this issue unless we are big fans of history.”
He said, “on the eighth of August of 2018, as you know, there was a terrible provocation of Saakashvili regime in Georgia, which resulted in the immense problems for this country and the emergence of two independent Republics. Since then, the regime has changed, and the current leaders of Georgia have already given their own assessment to what has happened then. They recognize this reckless mistake that was made by Saakashvili. They also are very much aware of the role of foreign powers in this situation.”
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