The ongoing war in Ukraine is a continuation of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Georgia in 2008 and a result of the failure of the international community to hold the aggressor accountable at that time. Such a statement made the Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee of the Parliament.

In his speech at the ongoing Conference on the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence in Bruges, Irakli Beraia reiterated the Georgian Government’s “strong support” to Ukraine and “solidarity with its brave people defending their country” from the Russian aggressors.

“Russia’s ongoing brutal war is not an isolated case but a clear attempt to redraw sovereign borders by force. As Russia wages war against Ukraine, 20 percent of my country still remains occupied, with the situation in the [Russian] occupied regions noticeably worsening.

Illegal military presence and borderisation, killings and human rights violations, de facto annexation steps and various manifestations of hybrid warfare are daily consequences of the Russian occupation. All that, along with the intention to build a naval base on our sea coast is a serious threat to European Security.

Along with pressuring Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, it is equally important that de-occupation of Georgia and implementation of the 2008 European Union-mediated ceasefire agreement remained top priority on the European agenda.

Full-fledged European security will not be achieved if a single Russian soldier remains on Georgian soil. But, apart from pressuring Russia to withdraw, it is important to further step-up support for strengthening our defence and resilience against the full spectrum of threats and increase EU and NATO engagement in the Black Sea Region considering the latter’s strategic importance for European Security”, - sad Irakli Beraia.

As he added, Georgia had been “resolutely pursuing a peaceful conflict resolution policy”, as well as “ambitious democratic, security and EU and NATO integration agendas”.