Opposition members of the Georgian parliament appealed to NATO and the EU to “take a firm and united position against Russia’s ongoing policy of occupation and annexation.” They called for a response to the placement of a permanent base for the Russian navy in the Abkhaz port of Ochamchira.

Earlier it became known that Russia was transferring warships from Sevastopol to Ochamchira. The Georgian opposition accused the country's authorities of passivity against the backdrop of Russian plans to create a base for the Black Sea Fleet in occupied Abkhazia.

“We believe that this decision of the Russian Federation is an additional challenge not only to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, but also to the security of the wider Black Sea region and the Euro-Atlantic space as a whole. We believe that the permanent basing of the Russian military fleet in the port of Ochamchire in occupied Abkhazia is also an additional threat to the implementation of the “Middle Corridor” project initiated by the European Union, especially at a time when 90% of the Georgian population supports Georgia’s accession to the EU and when the country is waiting for a political decision from the European Union on granting Georgia candidate status,” the Georgian deputies said in a statement.

Earlier, about 160 non-governmental organizations in Europe signed an appeal to the European Commission calling for Georgia to be granted candidate status for EU membership in December 2023. The authors assured that they are interested in making Georgia a member of the European Union, in which every citizen will live in a peaceful, rich, free and fair state.