Georgian First Deputy Foreign Minister hails Nauru’s move to cut ties with Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions

Lasha Darsalia, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, on Wednesday stated that Nauru’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with the self-proclaimed Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions should be a source of national celebration for all citizens, expressing regret over any political figures who reacted with disappointment.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Darsalia highlighted the importance of keeping the issues of occupation, sovereignty, and the plight of displaced persons firmly centred within the global agenda despite external attempts to sideline them.

“I think this is a decision that should make everyone in Georgia happy, and it is regrettable if anyone was upset, regardless of where anyone stands and what they do. There may be individual actors who are trying to introduce a different agenda into the mentioned issue, but for us it is very important that the position of international organisations remains firm on this issue. There are several important tasks in this direction; first of all, this is an occupation and occupied territories. This issue must be clearly documented in the international agenda; it is also important to return the displaced persons and that these are Georgia’s occupied territories, which are currently occupied by the Russian Federation”, he said.

“There may be various attempts to push the mentioned issue into the background, but we will continue our efforts so that these issues stand clearly on the agenda of international organizations”, Darsalia concluded.

Nauru has officially withdrawn its recognition of Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states, with the formal decision on the cancellation of diplomatic relations dated July 21.