Written declaration No. 408 | Doc. 11584 | 17 April 2008

Declaration on the unilateral decision by the Russian Federation to legalise ties with the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Signatories: Mr Mátyás EÖRSI, Hungary, ALDE ; Mr Remigijus AČAS, Lithuania, EDG ; Ms Marie-Louise BEMELMANS-VIDEC, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Oksana BILOZIR, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Luc Van den BRANDE, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingrida CIRCENE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Valeriu COSARCIUC, Republic of Moldova ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Gultakin HAJIBAYLI, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Ilie ILAŞCU, Romania ; Mr Gediminas JAKAVONIS, Lithuania ; Ms Corien W.A. JONKER, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Nino KALANDADZÉ, Georgia ; Mr Paata LEJAVA, Georgia ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden ; Mr Dick MARTY, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Maia NADIRADZÉ, Georgia ; Ms Nino NAKASHIDZÉ, Georgia ; Ms Ganira PASHAYEVA, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Lord David RUSSELL-JOHNSTON, United Kingdom ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Elene TEVDORADZE, Georgia ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

The undersigned,

1. Express deep concern over the decision of the Russian Federation to establish bilateral legal links with the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;

2. Note that this destabilising decision undermines the internationally recognised sovereignty of Georgia;

3. Consider that the current policy trend toward integrating part of Georgia’s territory into the Russian Federation violates international law and severely undermines the Government of Georgia’s efforts at peaceful reunification;

4. Recall that the Abkhazia separatist de facto rule was established by forcibly expelling hundreds of thousands of civilians on the basis of ethnicity; underscore that Russia’s support to these rebels effectively legitimises an internationally-recognised act of ethnic cleansing;

5. Recall Russia’s freely undertaken obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe, in particular as regards its commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue;

6. Urge Russia to reverse this decision and respect its commitment to the territorial integrity of Georgia;

7. Further note that in light of these developments, Russian troops operating as Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeepers under the ceasefire agreement of 14 May 1994 are not neutral but are a party to the conflicts;

8. Call upon the United Nations Security Council to:

• replace the Russian contingent with truly impartial UN peacekeeping forces;
• boost the mandate and resources of UNOMIG to progressively replace CIS peacekeepers across Abkhazia, Georgia.