US Ambassador to Georgia: 13 would be alive if they could have moved to Tbilisi territory by controlled

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan visited the occupation line in the village of Odzisi, Dusheti municipality, neighboring South Ossetia.

She met with local residents, examined the engineering border facilities erected by Russian military personnel.

“The process of borderization cannot but alarm, and this is one of the reasons that forced me to personally come to the region and get acquainted with what is happening. According to my information, all the checkpoints were closed by the Ossetian side in September last year, as a result of which at least 13 people died without receiving qualified medical care. This could have been avoided if people had the opportunity to freely enter the territory controlled by the Georgian side,” said Kelly Degnan.

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Kelly Degnan also addressed issues related to Russia’s 2008 ceasefire obligations:

“I personally got acquainted with the tragedy of people forced to live on opposite sides of barbed wire. This is very sad. The United States fully supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And when I see what is being built behind the occupation line, my confidence that Russia must fulfill its 2008 ceasefire obligations only grows stronger. Russia must withdraw its troops from the region,” said Kelly Degnan.