Georgia’s Kvirikashvili Meets EU Special Representative

TBILISI - Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met with European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Herbert Salber yesterday in Tbilisi.

They discussed the human rights situation in Georgia's occupied territories and the Georgian Government's efforts to improve the living conditions of the population along the occupation line.

PM Kvirikashvili condemned the recent decision of South Ossetia’s puppet regime to hold a referendum on renaming the breakaway Region to a name similar to a subject of the Russian Federation -North Ossetia – Alania and urged the international community to join forces and stand up to Russia’s provocations.

The Prime Minister expressed concern that despite the Georgian Government's peaceful policy and efforts to promote reconciliation and confidence building between the populations along the occupation lines, the Russian Federation intensifies the isolation of Georgia's occupied territories and continues taking steps toward their annexation, thus undermining the regional stability.

At the meeting the parties underlined the importance of the Geneva International Talks as the best mechanism for discussing issues and taking relevant decisions.

The meeting was attended by Bjoern Kuehne,Chief of Cabinet/Political Adviser at the Office of the EU Special Representative and by Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze and the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser Tedo Japaridze.

By Thea Morrison