- Title: Georgian president condemns Putin's plan to visit breakaway Abkhazia region
- Date: 8th August 2017
- Summary: TBILISI, GEORGIA (AUGUST 8, 2017) (REUTERS) HONOUR GUARD WATCHING AS WREATH IS BENG CARRIED OFFICIALS WALKING BEHIND WREATH GEORGIAN PRESIDENT GIORGI MARGVELASHVILI WALKING FLOWER WREATH BEING CARRIED MARGVELASHVILI WALKING FORWARD AND ADJUSTING RIBBONS ON WREATH MARGVELASHVILI HOLDING MOMENT OF SILENCE SOLDIERS WITH GEORGIAN FLAGS AT CEMETERY GRAVES WITH PORTRAITS OF GEORGIAN SOLDIERS KILLED DURING 2008 WAR OVER SOUTH OSSETIA MARGVELASHVILI WALKING AT CEMETERY PRIESTS HOLDING MEMORIAL CEREMONY SOLDIERS WITH GEORGIAN FLAGS / PEOPLE AT CEMETERY (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA, GIORGI MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "It is nine years since 2008 when regular Russian military forces occupied the regions of Georgia. The real occupation started even before, in 1990s when the hybrid war was exercised against the independent new nation which was building its identity and freedom together with the civilized world." SOLDIERS WITH FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA, GIORGI MARGVELASHVILI, SAYING: "Today, while grieving about the losses we have had during this tragedy, we see the president of the Russian Federation visiting Georgia, Abkhazia with the violations of the international law, trying to legitimise the historic unfairness that Russian Federation has exercised against Georgia." WOMAN LIGHTING CANDLE / SOLDIERS WITH GEORGIAN FLAGS SOLDIERS HOLDING GEORGIAN FLAGS STANDING AT ATTENTION AT MEMORIAL CEMETERY
- Embargoed: 22nd August 2017 12:55
- Keywords: breakaway republics Giorgi Margvelashvili Abkhazia Georgian president 2008 Georgian war War against Russia president Putin war memorial Russian occupation
- Location: TBILISI, GEROGIA
- City: TBILISI, GEROGIA
- Country: Georgia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TAQJPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili condemned on Tuesday (August 8) plans by Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Margvelashvili made the comments after paying tribute at a military cemetery to Georgian soldiers killed in the 2008 five-day war with Russia over South Ossetia.
He accused Putin of violating international law.
Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Abkhazia's Black Sea resort of Pitsunda and meet the region's leaders on Tuesday.
An independent report commissioned by the European Union in 2009 blamed Georgia for starting war with Russia, but said Moscow's military response went beyond reasonable limits and violated international law. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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