Baroness Falkner of Margravine – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Falkner of Margravine on 2015-10-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of recent reports of creeping annexation of Georgian territory by Russia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The UK continues to be concerned by ongoing reports of Russian supported borderisation (building fences and putting up “border” signs) along the Administrative Boundary Line with the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A recent example occurred in July 2015 when so-called border signs were moved closer to the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Line. Regular reporting by the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia provides valuable updates on the constant, low-level borderisation process by Russian and South Ossetian personnel.

The UK has a clear policy of non recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s claims to independence, and recognises Georgia’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty over these two regions. We reject any actions which will increase tensions and the isolation in communities living along the Administrative Boundary Lines and call on Russia to fulfil all of its 2008 ceasefire commitments, including removing its troops from South Ossetia to pre-conflict positions.