Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Georgia's Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze urged Russia to stop the process of constructing fences along the administrative borders of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region.

"I want to express my extreme concern over the critical situation in the occupied regions of Georgia - Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region," Panjikidze said while speaking at the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on October 10. "Since January of 2013, the occupation troops and border forces of the Federal Security Service (FSS) began a large-scale installation process of fences and barbewires along the lines of occupation of the Gori, Kareli, Kaspi and Akhalgori districts."

According to Panjikidze, in recent months, this process has become more intense and the overall length of barbewires is more than 35 kilometers.

She said that about 65 Georgian families suffered from the actions of the Russian side, as they were forced to leave their homes.

"In this forum, I want to once again call on Russia to immediately stop the process of installing fences and barbewires along occupational lines and fulfill the ceasefire agreement between Georgia and Russia dated August 12, 2008 and obligations taken in accordance with the international law," Panjikidze said.

The minister emphasized that Georgia must take a more active efforts for the full recovery of the OSCE mission in the country.

Earlier, Panjikidze appealed for Germany's mediation to resolve dispute with Russia.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, in some areas barbwire goes deep into Georgia's territory, which is under control of the Georgian authorities. Fences are also installed along the administrative border of Abkhazia.

Georgia and Russia, its giant northern neighbor, have maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008. Tbilisi broke off relations with Moscow in August 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over two rebel regions -- South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- and later recognized the regions. Georgia announced the two unrecognized republics as occupied territories in September 2008.