Georgia, Ukraine foreign ministers meet in Tbilisi

By Davit Kachkachishvili

TBILISI, Georgia

Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze has condemned Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Janelidze made the remarks on Friday after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin in the capital.

Klimkin is in Tbilisi for a two-day official visit.

“We strongly condemn the occupation and annexation of the city of Sevastopol and autonomous Republic of Crimea; Russian Federation’s aggressive and illegal activities in the eastern part of Ukraine,” Janelidze said.

Klimkin expressed his gratitude to the Georgian government for treating Ukrainian soldiers who got wounded during operations against pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote.

Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russia separatists has seen around 10,000 people killed, according to the UN.

Tbilisi fought a five-day war with Russia in 2008 over Georgia’s breakaway regions of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgia lost its control of both areas. Russia later recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.