President Welcomes EU Parliament's Adoption of Resolution on Georgia
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has thanked the European Parliament for adopting a resolution on Georgia’s occupied territories, after a plenary session debate titled 10 Years After The Russian Invasion.
The resolution was adopted by the European parliament on June 14 and it underlines that, 10 years after the Russian military aggression in Georgia of August 2008, the Russian Federation still continues its illegal occupation of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, undermining international law and the rules-based international system, and is taking active steps towards the full annexation of both regions.
"I welcome the resolution on Georgian occupied territories 10 years after the Russian invasion. We are grateful for the EU’s unwavering support towards Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," Margvelashvili tweeted.
Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, Tamar Chugoshvili says the adoption of the resolution by the European Parliament is a “historic decision.”
"The European Parliament has never adopted a joint document regarding the territorial integrity of Georgia. Ten years after the 2008 war, it is very important that European countries constantly have the issue of Georgia's territorial integrity on the agenda. The decision made by the European Parliament is historic, and the unanimous support for the document confirms that European politicians unanimously support Georgia's territorial integrity,” she stated.
According to the document, basic human rights, including the right to freedom of movement and residence, to property and of access to native-language education, are being violated in the occupied regions of Georgia. Illegal detentions and kidnappings also continue to take place. The resolution says that the Russian Federation, as the power exercising effective control over the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, bears full responsibility for severe human rights violations and the humanitarian situation on the ground.
The European Union reiterates its call to Russia to respect fully the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and the inviolability of its internationally recognised borders, to reverse its recognition of the separation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, to end its occupation thereof, and to reciprocate its commitment to the non-use of force vis-à-vis Georgia.
The resolution condemns Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria and Nauru for their recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and calls on them to reverse the recognition of the breakaway regions.
The document stresses that the international community must take a consistent, coordinated, united and firm stance against Russia's occupation and annexation policy as the only means to ensure peaceful conflict resolution in Georgia and to prevent similar conflicts in the neighborhood.
By Thea Morrison