Georgia in European Parliament’s CFSP and CSDP Implementation Reports

The European Parliament (EP) on January 18 adopted resolutions on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) as well as the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The EP acknowledged in its CSDP report that “the impunity which followed the 2008 invasion of Georgia is one of the factors leading to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Russian Occupation

The EP “acknowledges that Georgia was the first country to experience a full-scale Russian military aggression in August 2008, when Russia attempted to forcibly change the borders of a sovereign state in Europe, to occupy regions which are an indivisible part of Georgia — Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia — and take steps towards their de facto annexation, to expel hundreds of thousands of people from their homes as a result of ethnic cleansing and to divide societies with occupation lines,” the CFSP implementation reads.

The European Parliament says that the European Union, as the mediator of the 2008 ceasefire agreement between the Russian Federation and Georgia, bears a special responsibility. Therefore, the EP calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) “to prepare a thorough report on violations of the 2008 ceasefire agreement” and to “identify and communicate clearly the provisions which have still not been fulfilled by the Russian Federation and submit recommendations, which could induce the Russian Federation to fulfil its international obligations, notably to withdraw its military forces from Georgia’s occupied territories and allow the establishment of an international security mechanism in these territories.”

The EP parliament believes that Ukraine’s victory in its war with Russia will not only bring freedom to Ukraine itself, but also it will be a decisive factor for the restoration of the territorial integrity of Georgia and Moldova.

EU Bid

The EP “reaffirms that the future of the peoples of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia as well the Western Balkans lies within the EU” and calls for granting of the candidate status to Georgia, “provided that the priorities specified in the Commission’s opinion have been addressed.” 

On the other hand, the EP “calls on Georgia to tangibly deliver on the priorities drawn up by the Commission and endorsed by the European Council in its conclusions of 23 and 24 June 2022.”

Strengthening Support

The EP welcomes the European Union’s “particular focus on Eastern European partners in the Strategic Compass and calls on the EU to strengthen security cooperation with Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity and countering hybrid threats and disinformation.” Also, the EP also calls for increasing support in the military field for the vulnerable partners like Georgia, adding that the EU has to consider inviting Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova to participate in PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation of the EU in the military field) projects such as military mobility.

Furthermore, the EP in its CSDP resolution mentions other EU foreign policy instruments, such as the European Peace Facility (EPF) and calls on the EU members to “enable the EU to strengthen the resilience and defence capabilities of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia” by increasing the EPF budget.

In addition, MEPs call for the strengthening of the staffing, response capability, resources and strategic communication of CSDP missions and operations in partner countries including Georgia, and demand the reinforcement of the EU’s diplomatic presence in the Eastern Partnership countries and in the Western Balkans.

Also Read:

• 09/01/2022 – Scoop: Georgia “Strongest” on Technical Alignment in Upcoming EC Association Trio Report
• 14/12/2022 – Updated: European Parliament Adopts Report on Georgia’s AA Implementation
• 14/12/2022 – European Parliament Debates Implementation Report of EU-Georgia Association Agreement
• 12/12/2022 – EU to Invest EUR 2.3 Billion in Georgia-Romania Black Sea Electricity Cable
• 09/12/2022 – EU Approves EUR 20 Mln for Georgia’s Defense

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