Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia on De-Occupation and Peaceful Conflict Resolution

The Parliament of Georgia,

Guided by national interests of Georgia;

Upholding the principles of international law and universally recognized norms of international community;

Conforming to the Constitution of Georgia, international treaties, legislative and subordinate normative acts, including the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories;

Welcoming the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case Georgia v. Russia (II), which ruled that the Russian Federation, as the state occupying and exercising effective control over Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, has been responsible for grave human rights violations during the Russian-Georgian August 2008 war and in the subsequent period of occupation of Georgia’s territories by Russia;

Recalling the Resolutions on Foreign Policy unanimously adopted by the Parliament of Georgia in 2013, 2016 and 2020, and the Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia on Gross Human Rights Violations in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region and the “Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili List”;

Expressing grave concern about the ongoing occupation of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia by the Russian Federation in blatant violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, the UN Charter and Helsinki Final Act, undermining the rules-based international system;

Emphasizing with great concern that hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees forcibly expelled from the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as a result of several waves of ethnic cleansing and demolishing ethnic Georgians houses, recognized by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union, are deprived of their fundamental right to return to their homes in safety and dignity;

Reaffirming Georgia’s adherence to the commitment for peaceful conflict resolution and non-use of force, and its compliance with the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement. In this regard, emphasizing Georgia’s aspiration to pursue an inclusive and comprehensive peace policy, to succeed in de-occupation of Georgia’s territories and peaceful settlement of the Russia-Georgia conflict, and to advance in reconciliation, protection of rights of, engagement and confidence building between the residents across the occupation line;

Positively commending the U.S. Consolidated Appropriations Act prohobiting funds for the governmant of a state that has recognized the so-called independence of, and/or has estbalished diplomatic relations with, the Russian Federation occupied Georgia regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia:

  1. Reaffirms that strengthening of sovereignty and peaceful restoration of territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders, de-occupation of Georgia’s territories, and restoration of rights and protection of property rights of internally displaced persons and refugees as well as their safe and dignified return to their homes is the legal right, national interest, strategic goal and number-one priority of Georgia.
  2. Unanimously and strongly condemns Russia’s occupation and steps towards annexation of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, including the so-called treaties with the occupied regions, which fully disregard the fundamental norms and principles of international law, violate Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and undermine peace and security in Georgia, the whole Eastern Partnership area and the wider Black Sea region, establishing a vicious precedent of violating sovereignty.
  3. Declares that any attempt of forcible change of Georgia’s internationally recognized borders and unilateral delineation of the Russia-Georgia state border on the segments of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia is illegal and blatantly violates the fundamental norms of international law. In this regard, emphasizes that any step towards the annexation of particular parts located in occupied regions, including Aibgha village of Gagra municipality, is unacceptable, unlawful and cannot have any legal effect according to international law.
  4. Urges the Russian Federation, as the occupying power, to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military and security forces from Georgia’s territory and de-occupy the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia; to fully implement the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, to allow creation of international security mechanisms inside those two Georgian regions, to enable the entry the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) within its mandate and unrestricted access of international human rights and humanitarian organisations into the occupied territories of Georgia.
  5. Calls upon the Russian Federation to reverse its illegal recognition of the so-called independence of Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and the so-called treaties signed with the de-facto regimes.
  6. Further appeals to the international community to impose restrictive measures against the governments violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders by recognizing the so-called independence of the Russian Federation occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tshkhinvali region/South Ossetia.
  7. Calls upon the Russian Federation to stop its illegal activities and gross violation of human rights in Georgia’s occupied territories, including military drills, installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers, the practice of illegal detention along the occupation line; to ensure immediate release of Irakli Bebua and illegally detained other Georgian citizens; to reopen the so-called crossing points and enable freedom of movement for local population; to cease ethnic discrimination of Georgians and deliberate destruction and damaging of cultural heritage in Georgia’s occupied territories in an attempt to erase the Georgian traces in Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia; and not to restrict ethnic Georgians from receiving education and exercising their right to religion on their mother language. These acts prolong the conflict, threaten peace and stability, interfere with the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and negatively impact the health and safety of the local population, destabilizing the region as a whole;
  8. Calls upon the Russian Federation to stop human rights violations and crimes in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, including ethnically motivated violence and crimes, and remove any obstacles to ending impunity in the cases of murder of Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, David Basharuli and Irakli Kvaratskhelia to bringing the perpetrators to justice;
  9. Urges the Russian Federation to cease undermining the formats of peace negotiations, and to engage in constructive manner in the Geneva International Discussions (GID) co-chaired by the EU, UN and OSCE; Calls for finding durable solutions for outstanding security and humanitarian problems of the conflict-affected people and reaching tangible results on the key issues pertaining to the negotiations agenda; Stresses the importance of establishment of international security mechanisms Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, and creation of conditions for voluntary, safe and dignified return of all internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees to their homes; Emphasizes the necessity of regular and effective functioning of the monthly based Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs), and calls for unconditional resumption of the Gali IPRM that has been suspended since 2018;
  10. Considers the decision of the Government of Georgia important, to develop a whole-of-nation vision and an inclusive and comprehensive policy for de-occupation and peaceful conflict resolution with the aim to advance in the settlement of the Russia-Georgia conflict as well as the reconciliation, protection of rights of, engagement and confidence building between the communities across the occupation line; calls upon the Government of Georgia to also develop a national strategy on fight against hybrid threats with involvement of stakeholders.
  11. Calls upon the Government of Georgia to continue active diplomacy and close cooperation with international partners in order to maintain the issue of Georgia’s occupied territories high on the international agenda and further mobilize international efforts for de-occupation of Georgia’s territories and peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict;
  12. Appeals to the international community to have a consistent, united and decisive stance against Russia’s occupation and annexation policy as the only means to ensure peace and security in Georgia, the Eastern Partnership area and the wider Black Sea region;
  13. Calls upon the international community to refer and effectively use the ECHR judgement in the case concerning the war between Georgia and the Russian Federation in August 2008 and its consequences as an international legal instrument to counter Russia’s occupation and administrative practice of human rights violations in Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia;
  14. Reaffirms its readiness to continue intensive and proactive cooperation with legislative bodies and parliamentary assemblies in both bilateral and multilateral formats to coordinate efforts in defending the rules-based international system and the fundamental norms of international law.

 

Tbilisi

2 August 2021

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