Pawel Herczynski, the recently appointed Head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia, commented on Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko’s recent visit to Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region.

“It is for the Georgian government to decide how to react to this unprecedented visit. I want to reiterate the EU position, which is crystal clear. The European Union stands firmly behind Georgia in supporting Georgia’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

We have condemned this visit of the so-called president, because Lukashenko is not a legitimate president of Belarus, in the breakaway region of Abkhazia. And simply, we feel it is unacceptable to have such a visit without prior consent with the government of Georgia,” Pawel Herczynski said.

On September 28, the Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ambassador of Belarus to Georgia following the visit of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to the occupied Abkhazia region. As previously reported, Alexander Lukashenko arrived in occupied Abkhazia and met with its de facto leadership.

While in office, it was the first time Alexander Lukashenko entered occupied Abkhazia. It is noteworthy that Belarus does not recognize the independence of the occupied Abkhazia or Tskhinvali regions.