MP Samkharadze: We strongly condemn so-called agreement concluded this May between Russia and so-called South Ossetia

Georgia’s Parliament Foreign Relations Committee Chair Nikoloz Samkharadze condemned the so-called Agreement on the Deepening of Allied Interaction signed in May between Russia and the occupation regime in Tskhinvali, calling it a gross violation of international law, during his address at the 33rd annual session of the Political Affairs and Security Committee of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

Samkharadze thanked the rapporteur for including references to Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories in the committee’s report, noting that Georgia has lived under occupation for the past 30 years.

“We strongly condemn the so-called Agreement on the Deepening of Allied Interaction concluded this May between the Russian Federation and the so-called South Ossetia. This document constitutes a gross violation of international law and is another desperate attempt by Moscow to consolidate the occupation and strengthen the de facto annexation of territories internationally recognized as an integral part of Georgia,” he said.

He stressed that any agreement or act concluded by the self-proclaimed authorities of Georgia’s occupied regions is legally null and void.

Samkharadze also addressed the OSCE Moscow Mechanism report, stating that its conclusions were not supported by what he described as a majority of OSCE participating states, including the United States, France, Spain and Italy.

According to him, the report, prepared by a single expert within 71 hours, contains factual inconsistencies and allegations that were not fully substantiated. He noted that the expert had acknowledged insufficient time to gather evidence for all of the report’s findings.

“Of course, there are certain recommendations that we agree with, and some of them have already been implemented. However, I would like to note once again that this report has certain shortcomings in terms of factual accuracy,” Samkharadze said.