The US Government has plans to provide $500,000 to fund new enterprises in the Georgian villages along the Russian-occupied territories, the US embassy to Georgia has reported.
Residents along the occupation line need special support,” the embassy said.
The project will be implemented through cooperation between the Partnership Fund and USAID/Georgia’s Zrda activity.
The presentation of the project has already taken place in the village of Rukhi, Samegrelo municipality, near the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region, the Georgian Reconciliation Ministry reports.
Winners will be revealed by Start-up Georgia (a daughter company of the Partnership Fund). Applications will also be submitted on the webpage of Start-up Georgia.
Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia have only been recognized as independent states by Russia, Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
The rest of the international community is unanimous in that the regions are occupied by Russia and the country must withdraw its troops from Georgian territory.
The US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus called on Russia on September 12 to suspend its illegal occupation of Georgian territories, adding that “for the last decade, Russia’s illegal, malign behavior has undermined stability and peace in the region”.
