Belarus Ambassador summoned to Georgian foreign ministry after Lukashenko visits Abkhazia
Lukashenko in Abkhazia
Georgia is extremely concerned by Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Abkhazia on September 28 and demands additional clarification from Minsk.
The president of Georgia accused Lukashenko of violating bilateral relations and international law by visiting Abkhazia. Belarus’ ambassador to Georgia Anatoly Lis was summoned to the Georgian foreign ministry.
The Georgian foreign ministry accused Lukashenka of violating the state border of Georgia.
“President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko paid a visit to occupied Abkhazia and met with representatives of the occupation regime. The Georgian side is expressing extreme concern about this and has requested additional clarification from the Belarusian side,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
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Lukashenko arrived in Abkhazia today from Moscow immediately after meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
His meeting with de facto president of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhaniya took place at the government residence in Pitsunda.
Bzhania welcomed Lukashenko, noting that in 1996, at a meeting of CIS heads of state, it was Lukashenko who’d expressed his disagreement with the post-war economic blockade of Abkhazia.
For his part, Lukashenko said that he discussed the issue of Abkhazia with president Putin until late at night, and both leaders noted that Abkhazia should not be abandoned.
“Yesterday we discussed the problems of Abkhazia with our elder brother Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. We discussed these issues a lot, well into the night, and came to the same conclusion – that Abkhazia should not be abandoned. It needs help so that this flourishing land, the people who live here, live normally,” Lukashenko said.
The Belarusian leader also said that his visit to Abkhazia was not connected to any special occasion.
This is Lukashenka’s first visit to Abkhazia. Belarus has never recognized the independence of Abkhazia. In February, Lukashenko said that he would recognize Abkhazia as an independent state “if necessary.” In June, special representative of the president of Belarus Viktor Sheiman met with Bzhania while on a visit to Abkhazia.
