“It is tragic that nowadays there can occur a situation in a country when a barbed wire fence splits the country into two parts, sometimes even splitting families. Latvia has never recognised such actions on behalf of Russia; we will always support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is important for every country to be free and independent. I hope that the international community will find the ways to solve this situation,” stated Raimonds Vējonis while visiting Khurvaleti together with President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili.
While continuing his state visit to Georgia, Raimonds Vējonis visited the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), where four representatives from Latvia are currently working together with the observers from the other EU Member States. This civil monitoring mission was launched after the Russia-Georgia military conflict in the summer of 2008, resulting in Georgia losing control of the region of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The mission is aimed at ensuring that active hostilities do not resume at the conflict zone and at contributing to the gradual restoration of confidence between the two conflict parties. The President of Latvia confirmed that Latvia would continue to contribute to the operation of the EU Monitoring Mission.
Raimonds Vējonis reiterated Latvia’s concern about the developments in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by noting that Latvia did not recognise the so-called parliamentary elections that took place in the region of Abkhazia this March and the upcoming so-called presidential elections and referendum in the region of South Ossetia in April. The President of Latvia emphasised during the conversation that such activities of Georgian separatists did not contribute to a peaceful solution of that conflict.
President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone pay a state visit to Georgia from March 27 to March 30. During the visit, the President of Latvia met with the top officials of Georgia and with the Latvian community in Georgia.