WRITTEN QUESTION E-0819/02 by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council. Military action on the part of the United States and Russia in the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia, on the frontier with Chechnya.
Date: 2002-03-25
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Georgia, Russia, United States, common foreign and security policy, forces abroad, military intervention, national sovereignty, terrorism

C 309 E/48

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

instrument and its modernisation. It cannot be ruled out that the provisions of this Convention relating to
contracts of employment will be subjected to critical review.

In addition, Article 73 of the Regulation requires the Commission to report to the European Parliament on
its application no later than five years after its entry into force. Thus, even if the situation described by the
Honourable Member, which already existed at the time of the adoption by the Council of Regulation (EC)
No 44/2001, has neither been raised nor given rise to the tabling of amendments in the course of
negotiations, the Commission could still examine it in this report should it prove in the course of its
application in the Member States that Article 20 of the Regulation was causing problems, in particular as
regards increasing costs.

The Commission does not therefore intend at this stage to propose an amendment to Regulation (EC)
No 44/2001, which has just entered into force.

(1) OJ L 12, 16.1.2001, p. 1.

(2002/C 309 E/055)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0819/02

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(25 March 2002)

Subject: Military action on the part of the United States and Russia in the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia, on the

frontier with Chechnya

The media have recently reported Russia’s intention to extend the war against terrorism to Georgia, and
the fact that the United States has sent troops to the Caucasus, the purpose being, in both cases, to take
action in the Psankisi Gorge on the Chechen border.

What is the Council’s position with regard to these decisions, which directly affect a region situated in an
area of strategic interest for the European Union and which was directly affected by the conflict in
Chechnya, a country destroyed by the Russian army?

Reply

(30 September 2002)

The Council’s position with regard to developments in the Pankisi Gorge is based on the principle of the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia as an independent State. The EU has consistently sought to
support this goal, notably through the substantial assistance that it has given to the Georgian Border
Guards working with the Border Monitoring and Observation mission of the OSCE along parts of the
borders with Russia.

No country may consider itself safe from the threat of terrorism and in this context Georgia clearly faces
particular problems but also responsibilities resulting from its proximity to the Chechen Republic of the
Russian Federation. It is clear that Georgia will have to take particular measures to counter these threats
which question its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The task of the US military experts (who entered
Georgia with the full agreement of the Georgian authorities) will be to train and equip Georgian security
forces in support of this. For the EU, the Council welcomes all measures which support Georgia in this
aim. Meanwhile, President Putin of Russia has also welcomed US assistance to Georgia in combating
common threats to regional stability.

It is the recognition of its strategic interests in the Southern Caucasus that has led the EU to play a more
active political role in the region over the past year. An essential complement to this policy has been a
stronger EU role in conflict resolution, notably in South Ossetia, as well as an intensified political dialogue
about the region with Russia and the United States, as well as with Turkey and Iran. The EU will continue
to consult closely with its partners on all developments, with a view to promoting its stated goals of peace,
stability, prosperity and regional cooperation.