P6_TA(2004)0023

Situation in Georgia

European Parliament resolution on Georgia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part [1], which entered into force in 1999,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on relations with the countries of the region, notably its recommendation of 26 February 2004 to the Council on EU policy towards the South Caucasus [2],

- having regard to the emerging Wider Europe — Neighbourhood policy of the European Union, in which the region is included, and the stated long-term objective of the countries in the region to play a full part in European integration and cooperation,

- having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. welcoming the on-going political and economic reforms, the measures to establish solid and efficient democratic institutions, and the efforts made by the government to tackle large-scale corruption, thereby creating a peaceful and prosperous Georgia that can contribute to stability in the region and the rest of Europe,

B. deploring the recent outbreaks of violence in the region of South Ossetia and the escalation of violence which have led to deaths, injury and serious material damage,

C. whereas the lack of progress in conflict resolution in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is an obstacle to the development of Georgia,

D. whereas the European Union must increase its support for the on-going efforts to help resolve the conflicts in Georgia and the South Caucasus region, in cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other actors,

E. whereas the "presidential elections" which took place in Abkhazia on 3 October 2004 must be considered illegitimate and unacceptable in the absence of an agreement on the final status of Abkhazia, whereas these elections were based on an electorate of 115000 persons and whereas more than 300000 Georgians had previously been disenfranchised through expulsion from their homes in the region,

F. deploring the recent statements of the Russian authorities about the use of pre-emptive strikes in the South Caucasus as part of Russia's security doctrine and stressing the indispensable role Russia should play in the solution of the existing conflicts,

1. Expresses its full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, and draws attention to the need to arrive at a solution for the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia through negotiations and confidence-building, exclusively by peaceful means, respecting the right of the peoples of Georgia to determine their own cultural, social, economic and political aims;

2. Requests the Georgian Government to define its commitment, which appears to be a precondition for achieving a peaceful solution of conflicts and national unification based on consent, towards the autonomy of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;

3. Insists that full demilitarisation, with the exception of the OSCE's Joint Peace-Keeping Force, of the South Ossetian conflict zone is a precondition for a lasting peaceful solution of the conflict in this region; asks the Council to give its support to a further enhancement of the effectiveness of the OSCE mission in this region;

4. Rejects the "presidential elections" in Abkhazia as illegitimate and calls on the Commission and Council to give their support to an intensification of the UN-led negotiation process in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict;

5. Welcomes the start of the ESDP Rule of Law Mission to Georgia; believes that the mission represents a step forward in relations between the EU and Georgia and in the latter's progress towards establishing deeper and more effective relations with the EU and sharing the objectives of the European Neighbourhood Policy;

6. Calls on the European Union and the Presidency-in-Office to provide the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus with all necessary resources to make his action effective and visible and to take further decisive action to secure the EU's policy goals in the region, including a willingness to mediate in the conflicts;

7. Calls on the Council and Commission to fully involve the Russian Federation in this process of securing stability through political negotiations and calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to refrain from any action which might endanger this process; calls on the Council and Commission to include the issue of Georgia's territorial integrity in the agenda for the dialogue with Russia within the framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;

8. Urges the Russian Federation to respect its commitments given at the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit on the reduction and withdrawal of Russian military forces from Georgia and supports Georgia's commitment as expressed by President Saakashvili at the UN that foreign troops would not move in once the Russian military withdrew;

9. Calls for active EU involvement in the development of a series of initiatives to break the deadlocks in the region;

10. Welcomes, in this respect, the agreement reached on a future meeting between the Prime Minister of Georgia, Zurab Zhvania, and the separatist leader of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoiti; calls on the Council to follow developments closely, making every effort to facilitate dialogue and prevent the tense situation from escalating;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Presidency-in-Office, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Secretary General of NATO, the President and Parliament of Georgia, and the de-facto authorities in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

[1] OJ L 205, 4.8.1999, p. 1.

[2] P5_TA(2004)0122.

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