On 20 August 2026, the United Nations Security Council held a closed meeting to discuss the situation in the Georgian territories occupied by Russia and the Russia-Georgia conflict, on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war, reads the statement, issued by the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

“During the meeting, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Mohamed Khaled Khiari, briefed Council members on the latest developments on the ground and provided an update on the Geneva International Discussions.

Following the meeting, representatives of Security Council members - the United Kingdom, France, Latvia, Denmark and Greece, as well as incoming Security Council members - Austria and Portugal, made a joint statement to the media.

The representatives of the aforementioned countries note in their statement that eighteen years have passed since Russia’s full-scale military aggression and the subsequent illegal occupation of Georgia’s territories of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali regions. Russian invasion of Georgia in August 2008 demonstrated the start of Russia’s more aggressive stance towards its neighbors. Russia has continued down this path with its unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine and reckless and dangerous actions against its neighbors.

The statement reaffirms, in the strongest terms, the support for Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. It condemns Russia’s brutal invasion of Georgia and its continued illegal military presence in violation of the UN Charter and exercising of effective control and taking steps toward annexation of the two Georgian regions, including signing of the so-called integration treaties, the latest so-called "treaty on deepening allied cooperation" signed on 9 May 2026 between Russia and the de facto authorities of the occupied Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region.

The countries welcome the decision by the Republic of Naoero to withdraw its recognition of the independence of the “Republic of Abkhazia” and the “Republic of South Ossetia”. They call on all states that have recognized the so-called independence of the occupied regions of Georgia to follow this example and to respect Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

In their statement, the representatives condemn the Russian Federation’s continued provocations and militarization of Georgia’s occupied territories, the establishment of unauthorized flights, naval and railway connections, as well as ongoing security and human rights violations on the ground.

The representatives also recall the judgments of international courts, which have on multiple occasions confirmed the responsibility of the Russian Federation, as the power exercising effective control on the ground, for grave human rights violations, including the killing of civilians, torture and inhumane and degrading treatment, among others.

The statement expresses deep concern by the fact that Russia has not upheld its obligations under the EU-mediated 2008 Ceasefire Agreement to withdraw its forces to the lines held prior to the outbreak of hostilities nor has it met its commitments to allow unhindered access for international human rights monitoring mechanisms such as the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.

The joint statement also underscores the need to protect the rights of internally displaced persons and refugees and stressed the importance of creating the conditions for their safe, dignified and unhindered return to their homes.

According to the statement, the countries remain committed to the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and support the continued meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Ergneti, while calling for the immediate resumption of the Gali IPRM meetings.

The countries joining the statement once again call on Russia to fully implement the 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and withdraw its forces from the territory of Georgia without delay. They also reiterate their call to Russia to reverse the recognition of the so-called independence of the two Georgian regions, not to impede the creation of international security mechanisms, and to allow access of international human rights and humanitarian organizations to both regions. In conclusion, the countries stress the necessity of a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict based on international law, including the UN Charter, and on the Helsinki Final Act”, - reads the statement.

Watch the joint statement: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k12/k122fjqvbc