Russia’s annexation of the Tskhinvali region has accelerated, while the Georgian Dream’s silence is criminal – Giorgi Sharashidze

According to Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of parliament from the Gakharia for Georgia party, Russia is continuing the annexation of the occupied Tskhinvali region (the so-called Republic of South Ossetia) at an accelerated pace, while the Georgian Dream party is maintaining its silence on this issue.

According to him, on May 9, an agreement was signed in the Kremlin between the Russian Federation and the so-called Republic of South Ossetia on deepening cooperation, which was later ratified by the Russian State Duma in an accelerated manner. According to Sharashidze, after that, the annexation processes became even more active, including the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin personally appointing their own representatives in the occupied territory.

According to the member of parliament, the above-mentioned steps constitute another violation of international law and the territorial integrity of Georgia.

Sharashidze also noted that, against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia is trying to create “victory stories” for its own society and, in his opinion, is doing so through the ongoing processes in the occupied territory of Georgia.

According to him, the Georgian Dream party called the draft resolution initiated by them, which is directed against the annexation process, “political arrogance.” Sharashidze asked the government whether it considers the protection of Georgia’s territorial integrity and protest against the annexation to be “political arrogance,” while, in his opinion, silence cannot serve to protect the country’s sovereignty.