Georgia a joint statement at the UN General Assembly calling on Russia to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine, while Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili reaffirmed Tbilisi’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at the sixth summit of the International Crimea Platform in New York on September 23.

The statement was endorsed by more than 50 countries, including the European Union and its member states, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Ukraine. It called for Russia to agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire and begin negotiations aimed at ending the war. The signatories also raised concerns over attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as disruptions to commercial shipping and grain exports in the Black Sea.

At the Crimea Platform summit, Botchorishvili drew a direct connection between Ukraine’s situation and Georgia’s own experience with Russian occupation. Georgian Foreign Minister noted that Russia’s presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia remains one of Georgia’s most serious security challenges and stressed the importance of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.

“For Georgia, the issue of Ukraine is not simply one item of the international agenda. We know all too well what it means when a state’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are violated,” Botchorishvili stated. She also described the Crimea Platform as a forum for maintaining international attention on Ukraine and turning political commitments into practical action.

The sixth Crimea Platform summit brought representatives of more than 60 states and international organisations to New York. Participants adopted a joint statement reaffirming support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and calling for the non-recognition of Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and other Ukrainian territories.