On the 10th anniversary of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Georgia, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) calls upon the international community to continue to stand with the people of Georgia as they resolutely implement reforms and move toward accession into the European Union and NATO.
Despite the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, the Russian Federation refuses to implement its commitments with respect to Georgia, continues to occupy the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, and continues the process to fully integrate the occupied regions into the Russian sphere.
In addition, the human rights of the residents in these occupied areas continue to be violated and the cultural heritage of ethnic Georgians is being systematically eradicated.
In a Joint Communiqué marking the anniversary, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland wrote:
[…] Our commitment to the values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law as well as our respect for the rights of each individual and for every country’s sovereign choice is as firm as it was ten years ago. We reiterate that all states, including Georgia, have the right to freely determine their foreign policy and their alliances. The times of limited sovereignty are over in Europe, but consistency and firmness are required to protect these values and principles from those who challenge them, sparing no effort to bring the notion of the ‘spheres of influence’ back. […]
“The Ukrainian World Congress condemns the persistent attempts by the Russian Federation to annex the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, and calls upon the international community to remain vigilant in safeguarding the territorial integrity of independent states, demanding respect for international law and basic human rights,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
