This statement is made on behalf of Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States of America delivered.
We reiterate our full support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
Fifteen years after the military invasion of Georgia by the Russian Federation, we remain deeply concerned about the ongoing occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and underline the need for a peaceful resolution of the conflict based on full respect for international law and obligations, including the United Nations Charter and Helsinki Final Act.
We condemn Russia's military aggression against Georgia in 2008, which constitutes a blatant violation of international law, and express our concern that Georgia has been a target of both Russian hybrid tactics and conventional warfare since regaining its independence. We express our deep concern about Russia's continued military presence, military exercises and airspace violations in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In this context, we express our deep concern at recent statements about the establishment of a Russian naval base in the Ochamchire district of the occupied Abkhazia region as a further provocative attempt to destabilize the already dire situation there and in the wider Black Sea region. We also reiterate our condemnation of Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
We welcome Georgia's compliance with the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008. We call on Russia to immediately comply with its clear commitment under the ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, as well as its commitment to allow full access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and not to impede the establishment of international security arrangements on the ground. We call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and to ensure the safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes in accordance with international law.
We condemn the ongoing attempts to implement the so-called integration and alliance agreements between Russia and the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are aimed at integrating the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia into the military, social, economic, legal and other spheres of Russia represent a clear violation of international law by the Russian Federation and directly contradict OSCE commitments. We call on Russia to reverse this process.
We are concerned about the ongoing discrimination against Georgians on the basis of ethnicity in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as abuses, including severe restrictions on rights related to freedom of movement, education, residence and property, especially related to the destruction of the homes of internally displaced persons. We condemn the restriction of teaching in the native Georgian language and its replacement with Russian in schools and kindergartens in the Gali and Akhalgori districts inhabited by ethnic Georgians in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We also condemn the erasure and alteration of Georgian features of Georgian cultural heritage monuments in both regions.
We are particularly concerned about the continued installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers along administrative boundaries (ABLs), as well as the prolonged closure of so-called border crossings, which has resulted in serious humanitarian consequences for the local population. The partial and temporary reopening of the so-called border crossings cannot be considered satisfactory. All so-called border crossings in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia must be reopened to all Georgian citizens residing on both sides of the ABL.
Isolation and continued restrictions on freedom of movement have further destabilized the situation on the ground and have significantly affected the safety, well-being and humanitarian conditions of civilians in conflict areas, denying them access to family, property, agricultural land, etc. religious sites and cemeteries, as well as the pensions provided by the Georgian government, the free health services and education available in the areas controlled by the Georgian government. This poses a risk of further depopulation in both regions.
We strongly condemn the recent killing of a peaceful civilian – a Georgian citizen, Tamaz Ginturi, near the village of Kirbali, Gori Municipality, who was shot dead by Russian forces on November 6, 2023.
We condemn the previous cases of killings of Georgian citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria and Davit Basharuli and call on Russia to remove all obstacles to the prosecution of the perpetrators. In this context, we reiterate our support for Georgia's preventive measures to eradicate impunity and note the Okhosoria-Tatunashvili list adopted by the Georgian government.
We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing arbitrary detentions surrounding the ABLs, involving vulnerable groups and, in some cases, people with serious health conditions. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Irakli Bebua, Kristine Takalandze, Asmat Tavadze and all those arbitrarily detained.
We note the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of January 2021 in the case of the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia in August 2008 and its consequences, including the finding that Russia subsequently exercised effective control over the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia exercised the ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008, including through its military presence. The court also ruled that Russia tortured Georgian prisoners of war in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights; arbitrarily detained and killed Georgian civilians and was responsible for their inhumane and degrading treatment; prevented ethnic Georgians from returning to their homeland; and failed to conduct investigations into killings of civilians. In addition, on March 7, 2023, the European Court of Human Rights issued another ruling in the case “Mamasakhlisi and others v. Georgia and Russia,” which confirmed the Russian Federation's effective control over the Abkhazia region of Georgia even before Russia's war against Georgia in August 2008 and its full responsibility for human rights violations in the occupied region. We recall the decision of the ECHR of April 28, 2023, which ordered the Russian Federation to pay up to 130 million euros in favor of Georgian citizens affected by the conflict. We call on the Russian Federation to fully comply with these rulings, including by allowing internally displaced persons to return to their homes in safety and dignity. We also note the 2022 International Criminal Court (ICC) decision issuing war crimes arrest warrants against ethnic Georgian civilians during the Russian invasion in 2008, and note the alleged role of the now deceased Russian military official, which was uncovered through the investigation. We call on Russia to cooperate with the ICC.
We support the effective functioning of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) as the only format with the Russian Federation to address the implementation of the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008 and the resulting security, human rights and humanitarian challenges deals with the unresolved Russia-Georgia conflict. We underline the need for progress on the core issues of the discussions, including the non-use of force, the establishment of international security arrangements in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and ensuring the safe, dignified and voluntary return of internally displaced persons and refugees in accordance with international law. We strongly support the implementation of the “Women, Peace and Security” agenda in the GID to enable inclusive and sustainable peace and security locally.
We express our support for the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) in Ergneti and Gali and emphasize the important role they can play in preventing any escalation and protecting the safety of people on the ground. We express our grave concern about the long suspension of the Gali IPRM and call for its resumption without further delay or preconditions in accordance with the ground rules.
We reiterate our full support for the EU Observer Mission (EUMM) and call on Russia to allow the EUMM to fully implement its mandate, including by allowing the EUMM access to both sides of the ABL. At the same time, we call on Russia to allow international human rights organizations full and unhindered access to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
We support the Georgian government's comprehensive policy of liberation from the occupation and peaceful conflict resolution. We support the Georgian government's “One Step to a Better Future” initiative and its “Peace Fund for a Better Future”, which aim to improve the humanitarian and socio-economic conditions of the people of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and promote trust-building between divided communities. We call for active work on reconciliation and engagement programs and are ready to support them.
We welcome the OSCE's engagement in the process of finding a peaceful solution to the Russia-Georgia conflict. We regret the closure of the OSCE Mission in Georgia in 2009 and encourage OSCE participating States to decide on the resumption of the OSCE cross-dimensional mission in Georgia, including a surveillance capacity that can operate freely in all ABLs. The resumption of the mission would significantly strengthen the OSCE's commitment to the GID and the IPRMs. In addition, the re-establishment of a field mission would support the OSCE's work at every stage of the conflict cycle.
The Group of Friends of Georgia will continue to raise awareness of the conflict and developments on the ground, hold Russia accountable for its commitments and commitments, and advocate for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
