Georgian Foreign Ministry has condemned Russian government’s decision, endorsing draft of a new treaty with breakaway Abkhazia for signing, as a step towards “annexation of Georgia’s occupied territories.”

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“Despite of many constructive steps taken by the Georgian authorities, no progress in political aspects has been achieved with Russia. Statements made periodically by representatives of the Russian authorities about willingness to normalize relations with Georgia are clearly in conflict with their actual steps,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on November 22.

“Georgia will never tolerate infringement of its territorial integrity and consequently it is not going to make any compromise over this issue,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“We call on the international community to give a proper assessment to this step taken by the Russian Federation towards annexation of Georgia’s occupied territories and to use all the levers at its disposal to dissuade Russia from undertaking yet another aggressive move against Georgia,” it said.

The Foreign Ministry also said that this issue was high on the agenda of Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili’s recent talks with EU and NATO officials in Brussels, as well as during Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili’s recent meetings in London and Prague. The Foreign Ministry said that it would convey its concerns over the issue to Tbilisi-based foreign diplomats at a meeting next week and the Georgian diplomats will also raise it upcoming NATO and OSCE foreign ministerial meetings.