Georgia Monitors Venezuela, Seeks Reversal of Occupied Regions Recognition

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has released a statement on the ongoing political developments in Venezuela, highlighting that the Georgian government is closely monitoring the situation and expressing hope that future developments will align with the interests of the Venezuelan people.

Based on the statement, Georgia expects that recent events in Venezuela may create conditions for reviewing past foreign-policy decisions, including Caracas’ recognition of Georgia’s occupied regions, The Caspian Post reports, citing Georgia Today.

“Considering that the Venezuelan authorities, in gross violation of international law, recognized the occupied regions of Georgia - Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia - as independent states, we express the hope that the recent events will lead to the cancellation of this illegal decision, in accordance with the national interests of Georgia and international legal principles,” the statement reads.

Georgia has consistently maintained that the recognition of its occupied territories by Venezuela was politically motivated and directly influenced by Russia, which continues to exercise effective control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia following the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Tbilisi regards such recognitions as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a breach of fundamental norms of international law.

Venezuela was among a limited number of countries that recognized the breakaway regions after Russia’s unilateral recognition in 2008. The vast majority of the international community continues to support Georgia’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry reiterated that any reversal of this decision would represent an important step toward restoring respect for international legal principles and could contribute to strengthening bilateral relations between Georgia and Venezuela in the future.

Georgia has repeatedly called on states that recognize its occupied territories to reconsider their positions and align their policies with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the principles of sovereignty and non-interference.