Russia still 'occupies 20% of our territory': Georgian PM

Russia still occupies 20 per cent of Georgia's territory, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said while addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

At the beginning of his speech, the head of the Georgian government touched upon the problem of territorial integrity faced by his country, Anadolu reported.

At the same time, he noted that despite the current situation, Georgia continues to develop dynamically.

"My country survived a full-scale military aggression in 2008 and continues to experience its devastating consequences. This is still manifested in the occupation by the Russian Federation of 20 per cent of Georgia's territory. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes," the Georgian prime minister said.

Garibashvili called for unity and solidarity with the people living in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which unilaterally declared their independence.

Touching upon the topic of Georgia's membership in the EU, the Prime Minister said that this initiative is a geopolitical priority for the Georgian authorities.

According to him, about 90 per cent of the Georgian population supports the country's integration with the EU. "Georgia expects to receive the status of a candidate country from the EU at the end of the year," Garibashvili noted.