The Group of Friends of Georgia in OSCE calls on Moscow to comply with its international commitments

The Group of Friends of Georgia in OSCE adopted a statement in support for Georgia on 3 December 2021, within the framework of the 28th Ministerial Council of OSCE held in Stockholm.
The statement underlines the support of the OSCE Group of friends for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and expresses concern over the occupation of Georgian territories by the Russian Federation.

The statement calls on the Russian Federation to immediately fulfill its obligations under the Ceasefire Agreement, to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions and not to impede creation of international security arrangements on the ground.

The statement calls on Russia to reverse its recognition of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions as independent states.

The statement expresses concern over Russia's military presence in the occupied regions, condemns Russia's steps to unilaterally establish the Georgia-Russia state border on the segments of the occupied territories and incorporate a part ofAibghavillage of Georgia into Krasnodar Krai.

The Friends are also concernedwithongoing work in implementation of the “programme” on creation of a common socio-economic space between the Russian Federation and the Abkhazia region of Georgia as well as the so-called agreement on dual citizenship with the South Ossetia region of Georgia, as another step toward de facto annexation.

The statement refers to the January 2021 judgement of the European Court of Human Rights and calls on the Russian Federation to fully comply with the judgment, including by allowing internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their homes in safety and dignity.

The Group of Friends remains deeply concerned over the ethnic discrimination against Georgians residing in Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regionsand calls on Russia to enable full and unhindered access by international human rights organisations to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Group of Friends remains concerned over the installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers along the occupation line and the lengthy closure of so-called crossing points. They are deeply concerned by ongoing arbitrary detentions and call for immediate release of Irakli Bebua and those under illegal custody.

The statement condemns the killings of Georgian citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, and Davit Basharuli, and urge the Russian Federation, as the stateto remove any obstacles to bringing the perpetrators to justice. In this context, the friends reiterate their support for Georgia’s preventive steps aimed at eradicating impunity and note the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili List adopted by the government of Georgia.

The Statement supports the Geneva International Discussions (GID) as an important format to address the security, human rights, and humanitarian challenges stemming from the unresolved Russia -Georgia conflict. Further, the Statement underlines the necessity of progress on the core issues of the discussions. The Friends express their support for the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) in Ergneti and Gali and emphasize the important role they can have in preventing the escalation of the conflict and in helping protect the safety and security of people on the ground.

The Statement reaffirms their unwavering support for the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and highlights that the EUMM must be allowed to implement its mandate in full, on both sides of the occupation line.

The Group of Friends welcomes the decision of the government of Georgia to launch a multi-stakeholder process for developing a comprehensive “State Strategy for de-occupation and peaceful conflict resolution,” as well as for the Georgian government’s ‘A Step to a Better Future’ peace initiative.

The friends encourage the OSCE participating States to decide on the reopening of the OSCE cross-dimensional mission in Georgia. The re-opening of the mission would strengthen considerably the OSCE’s engagement in the GID and IPRMs, and in implementation of confidence-building measures.

The Group of Friends of Georgia holds Russia accountable for its obligations and commitments, and advocates for the conflict’s peaceful resolution.



The Statement is available here