Minister Janelidze Participates in UN High-Level Meeting in NY
Georgia’s Vice-Premier and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikheil Janelidze, took part in the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace on 24-25 April at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The high-level meeting opened on Tuesday with contributions from top speakers with experience in peacebuilding and sustaining peace.
It was then followed by a plenary meeting of the General Assembly, where Member States were ble to deliver their statements.
While delivering his speech, the Georgian FM focused on the government peace initiative aimed at improving the lives of those living in Georgia’s two Russian-backed breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Janelidze introduced the meeting participants to the grave human rights and living conditions of the people at these regions, noting that the missions of the UN and other international organizations are not admitted to these regions to monitor the situation there.
He added that Russia does not fulfill the undertaken obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement which obliges the Russian Federation withdraw its forces from the occupied regions.
The Minister reminded those present of the murder of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili, 35, who was killed by the Tskhinvali occupation forces on February 23 after he crossed the so called border.
“Before this case, another Georgian, Giga Otkhozoria, was killed by Abkhazian 'border guards' on Georgian territory, and the killer is still free. Moreover, the local population who live in these regions are victims of discrimination and their rights are being violated every single day,” Janelidze stressed.
From the UN tribune, the Georgian FM once again underlined that the Government of Georgia supports the peaceful resolution of the conflict and thanked the UN member states for assisting Georgia in this process.
In his speech, Janelidze also spoke about the joint efforts and responsibility of the international community in the process of securing and maintaining world peace.
By Thea Morrison