MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

28.5.2008

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Konrad Szymański, Adam Bielan, Ryszard Czarnecki, Wojciech Roszkowski, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Inese Vaidere and Gintaras Didžiokas
on behalf of the UEN Group
on the situation in Georgia

B6‑0293/2008

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Georgia

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, of 29 November 2007, and on the situation in South Ossetia, of 26 October 2006,

–  having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1808 of 15 April 2008,

–  having regard to the conclusions of the 2870th General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting from 26 to 27 May 2008,

–  having regard to the report of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) of 26 May 2006 on the incident involving the downing of an unmanned aircraft over Abkhazia,

–  having regard to the declaration of the Slovenian Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the escalation of tension between Georgia and Russia,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is being destabilised by the steps recently taken by the Russian Federation,

B.  whereas the Russian Federation withdrew from the Decision of the CIS Council of Heads of State on measures aimed at settling the conflict in Abkhazia (Georgia) (19 January 1996), which prohibits the signatory states from engaging in military cooperation with the separatist government of Abkhazia,

C.  whereas on 16 April 2008 the Russian authorities announced that the Russian Federation would enter into direct cooperation with the representatives of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia,

D.  whereas on 16 April 2008 the Russian Minister for Defence proclaimed that the Russian Federation would increase numbers for the Russian CIS peacekeeping armed forces,

E.  whereas the Russian Federation, by issuing passports to the residents of the Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and Abkhazia, is complicating the process of peaceful conflict resolution in the conflict zones in Georgia,

F.  whereas these decisions undermine the internationally recognised sovereignty of Georgia,

G.  whereas the report published on 26 May 2008 by the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) clearly states that a Georgian spy drone was shot down by Russian aircraft over Abkhazia, which is part of Georgian territory,

H.  whereas the steps taken by the Russian Federation call in question its role as an impartial and neutral facilitator of the peace process,

I.  whereas the Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, has put forward new proposals for the resolution of the conflict in Abkhazia, which include a broad Abkhaz political representation, the right to veto legislation related to the constitutional status of Abkhazia or its culture, ethnicity and language, the establishment of a joint free economic zone, and international guarantees to ensure broad federalism and unlimited autonomy for Abkhazia,

J.  whereas at the NATO summit held in Bucharest from 2 to 4 April 2008, no membership action plan was offered, although a political commitment regarding future membership was made,

K.  whereas the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on 21 May 2008 met democratic standards with relatively few irregularities, and the Georgian authorities made remarkable efforts to conduct those elections in line with the OSCE and Council of Europe standards,

L.  whereas those elections clearly offered an opportunity for the Georgian people to elect their representatives from amongst a wide range of choices,

1.  Congratulates the people of Georgia on the peaceful and democratic conduct of the elections; welcomes the efforts made by the Georgian authorities since the previous elections in January, and encourages them to take all necessary steps to address the shortcomings and problems identified by the OSCE-led International Election Observation Mission;

2.  Reaffirms its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders;

3.  Criticises the decision of the Russian authorities to establish bilateral links with the representatives of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, which are part of Georgian territory;

4.  Urges the Russian authorities to reverse their decision to increase their military presence in the conflict regions; considers that the withdrawal of additional Russian troops might ease the tense situation;

5.  Considers that the current policy and actions of the Russian Federation towards Georgia undermine the internationally recognised sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, and demonstrate that Russia cannot be viewed as a neutral and impartial peace facilitator in the conflict regions;

6.  Calls on the UN Security Council, the OSCE, and other international organisations to support the proposals of the Georgian government for new alternative negotiations and peacekeeping formats, including the progressive establishment of truly independent international peacekeeping forces;

7.  Welcomes the new initiatives of the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, for the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Abkhazia;

8.  Calls on the Council to engage more actively in conflict resolution in Georgia, and to provide all necessary means and resources to make this action more effective;

9.  Expresses serious concern at the measures implemented by Russia against Georgia, which are having huge economic consequences; calls, therefore, on the Russian authorities to lift their unjustified ban on sensitive exports from Georgia to Russia;

10.  Calls on the Council and Commission to include the issue of frozen conflicts and their resolution in the agenda for the next EU-Russia summits, and to accelerate the launch of negotiations on readmission and visa facilitation agreements between the EU and Georgia, signature of a mobility partnership agreement with the EU, and the creation of Common Visa Application Centres;

11.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States, the President and Parliament of Georgia, the UN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, NATO, and the President and Parliament of the Russian Federation.