Tbilisi reports destruction of church, Polish cemetery to clear area for building training range in Abkhazia
TBILISI. Jan 10 (Interfax) - Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili addressed the international community and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) asking that they respond to the demolition of a nineteenth century church and a Polish cemetery in the Tsebelda village in Abkhazia to build a military training range in their place, the Georgian president's advisor on international relations, Tengiz Pkhaladze, said.
"This is an intentional act of vandalism, which rudely breaches the norms of international law, including the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention," Pkhaladze told reporters on Tuesday.
The liability for conserving cultural monuments in Abkhazia is placed on "the occupation force", he said.