Opposition Draft Resolution on Russia Causes Controversy

The draft resolution prepared by the European Georgia political party, which urges for imposing additional international sanctions against Russia, has sparked controversy among the members of the Parliamentary majority and opposition at the sitting of Parliamentary Committee on European Integration, where the mentioned resolution was being discussed.

The Ruling Party Georgian Dream calls the draft resolution “destructive,’’ noting that its approval may cause economic sanctions against Georgia, which will bring quite a serious damage to the local population.  

“The Georgian parliament will not support the initiative which will lead to the punishment of the Georgian people,” Giorgi Volsky, the representative of Georgian Dream, stated after the government meeting earlier today.   

The draft resolution, prepared by the European Georgia members Sergi Kapanadze and Giorgi Kandelaki, reads that Russia continues the occupation of Georgian territory and urges the Georgian government to carry out necessary diplomatic and political moves against the illegal borderization. 

In particular, through this resolution, the opposition party urges the government to take the following steps:

Impose the US and EU sanctions to include the demand for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Georgian territory, in accordance with the 2008 ceasefire agreement;

Have the US and EU sanctions include the Otkhozoria and Tatunashvili list (the list which includes those accused or convicted in absentia for ‘the murder, kidnapping, torture, and inhumane treatment’ of Georgian citizens in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and for the cover-up of these crimes, since 1991);

To ask the EU and the US to impose sanctions against all foreign companies which are implementing illegal economic activities on the occupied territories of Georgia, for instance, renting properties of the victims of ethnic cleansing there.

By Ana Dumbadze