OSCE PA adopts draft resolution 'Conflict in Georgia'
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, July 6
With 122 votes in favour and 6 against, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) adopted a resolution prepared by Georgia about the conflicts in the country on July 5 at the session held in Tbilisi.
The resolution, 'Conflict in Georgia', was adopted by OSCE PA was prepared by the Parliament Speaker of Georgia, Davit Usupashvili. It consists of 17 points and condemns Russia’s activities in the occupied territories of Georgia.
By adopting the document, OSCE PA calls on Russia to implement the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.
According to the former President of OSCE PA Ilkka Canerva, the resolution represents an important political document.
“This is a politically valuable and significant resolution. It represents the political will of 67 countries,” he stated, and noted that the declaration would be presented to OSCE in Vienna as well as to Foreign Ministries of all OSCE member states.
Moreover, OSCE PA adopted the 2016 Tbilisi Declaration that addressed key issues in the fields of political affairs and security, economics, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian concerns.
According to Usupashvili, such resolutions become basic documents for further actions of the states and parties who supported it.
However, he noted that the adopted resolution has no legal force and it is solely a political document.
“Because of this resolution the Russians will not take their troops out of Tskhinvali and Sokhumi, but due to this resolution they will have problems in making further aggressive steps,” the Speaker stated.
The resolution urges the Russian Federation to reverse the recognition and creeping annexation of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions and to allow the safe, dignified, and unhindered return of all internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes, ensure the access to international humanitarian aid when needed. It also calls on Russia to allow international human rights monitoring on the ground.
The 25th annual session of OSCE PA was held in Tbilisi on July1-5. The next session will be held in Minsk, Belarus.
