MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Georgia’s breakaway regions 10 years after the war with Russia

11.6.2018 - (2018/2741(RSP))

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure

Helmut Scholz, Merja Kyllönen, Paloma López Bermejo, Javier Couso Permuy, Barbara Spinelli, Sabine Lösing, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Stelios Kouloglou on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group

B8‑0278/2018

European Parliament resolution on Georgia’s breakaway regions 10 years after the war with Russia

(2018/2741(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas relations between Georgia and Russia date back several hundred years, with periods of cooperation and periods of conflict or tension; whereas the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in multifaceted conflicts in the former Soviet republics which have yet to be resolved and continue to cause tensions between Russia and its neighbours; whereas for many years the conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia resulted in violent conflicts, ethnic cleansing and severe tensions in the relations between Russia and Georgia;

B.  whereas South Ossetia declared its independence from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991; whereas the Georgian Government responded by abolishing South Ossetia’s autonomy by trying to re-establish its control over the region by force; whereas the escalating crisis led to the 1991-92 Ossetia war and fighting in 2004 and 2008; whereas Abkhazia enjoyed autonomy within the Soviet Republic of Georgia; whereas ethnic tensions culminated in the 1992-93 war in Abkhazia and the de facto independence of Abkhazia; whereas despite the 1994 ceasefire agreement and years of negotiations, the dispute remains unresolved;

C.  whereas attempts have been made to rewrite the history of the 2008 Georgian-Russian war in light of the Ukraine crisis; whereas the title given to the parliamentary debate to commemorate these tragic events contributes to this problematic development; whereas the Tagliavini Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia (IIFFMCG) remains the baseline of facts as regards what happened; whereas the report clarified that the Georgian Government of Mikheil Saakashvili had started the war on the evening of 7 August 2008 when Georgian forces attacked the town of Tskhinvali and captured parts of South Ossetia, but noted that ‘a violent conflict had already been going on before South Ossetia’ and that the Georgian offensive was ‘not appropriate’ as a response to the pre-war attacks;

D.  whereas the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia remains a matter of dispute; whereas the United Nations and the majority of the world’s governments consider the territory part of Georgia, while Russia and four other UN member states recognise the Republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia; whereas both republics are heavily dependent on Russia in economic, political and military terms; whereas a solution to the conflicts in this region can be sustainable only if the right of the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to determine their future and to defend their national identity is guaranteed;

E.  whereas the Geneva International Discussions (GID) – the multilateral mediation forum to address the security and humanitarian consequences of the Georgian-Russian war of August 2008 – has yet to produce tangible results;

F.  whereas in 2017 Russia and Georgia established a joint committee headed by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia and the Georgian Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia; whereas economic relations progressed and people-to-people contact intensified in 2017; whereas Russia became Georgia’s second largest trade partner, transport links were established and more than one million Russians visited Georgia; whereas Russia and Georgia agreed to put the issues of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on the agenda of the joint committee in 2018;

G.  whereas growing military cooperation between Georgia and the United States and NATO, regular joint military exercises and training of the Georgian army by NATO military officers and the re-equipping of the Georgian army with NATO weapons remain issues of serious concern for Russia;

1.  Is concerned that the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia remain regions of unresolved conflict and tensions; calls for dialogue and negotiations between all parties concerned with a view to finding a solution which meets the aspirations of all people in the region and empowers them to determine their future;

2.  Welcomes the efforts of the governments of Russia and Georgia to develop mutually advantageous relations in different areas; hopes that these efforts will result in the differences between the two countries being resolved and the stabilisation of the region; criticises the fact that some political forces in the EU and Georgia are undermining these efforts by rewriting history and unilaterally blaming Russia for the tragic events of 2008;

3.  Expresses concern at the ongoing military build-up in the region and calls on all sides to put an end to this; calls for any NATO activity in the region to be put to an end and strongly rejects Georgia’s accession to NATO;

4.  Insists on respect for the principles of the UN Charter and reaffirms its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN member states, including Georgia;

5.  Stresses that any political solution to the conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia must meet the expectations of all the people living in the region; calls for a dispute resolution format which makes it possible for representatives of all people concerned to participate;

6.  Deplores the fact that the efforts within the framework of the GID to reach an agreement on a non-use of force statement did not succeed; underlines the fact that such an statement would be an important step on the road to guaranteeing the security of the region; calls on the United States to play a more constructive role in these discussions;

7.  Expresses strong concern at the tragic death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili; calls for a thorough investigation into the case and for cooperation among the relevant stakeholders; stresses the importance of protecting the safety and rights of the ethnic Georgians living in South Ossetia and Abkhazia;

8.  Insists on displaced persons’ right to return in dignified conditions, with a view to reducing the Iron-Curtain character of the de facto borders and making it possible for international actors to assist people within the two regions;

9.  Instructs its president to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the presidents and parliaments of Georgia and Russia, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe.