Amanda Paul and Iana Maisuradze wrote in their analysis of the situation in Georgia 13 years after the 2008 war exhausted Georgia that the EU must strengthen its presence in the South Caucasus more broadly. Exist, especially on security and conflict-related issues. 20% of its territory.
Amanda Paul is a senior policy analyst at the European Policy Center; Iana Maisuradze is a project assistant at the European Policy Center.
On August 7, 2008, Russia invaded Georgia, violating international law and ignoring the principles contained in the Helsinki Final Document, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-use of force. A few months after the Bucharest summit, NATO promised Georgia a place on its seat. This is a clear message that Moscow will not tolerate Georgia’s desire for Euro-Atlantic integration. However, the West did not impose sanctions on Russia for this kind of aggression. Instead, it gave Russia a second chance and proposed to “reset” relations. This is a major mistake.
Thirteen years later, 20% of Georgia’s land is still occupied. Russia has not yet implemented the key elements of the 2008 six-point ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of its forces to pre-conflict positions. On the contrary, Moscow has increased its political, economic and social influence in the occupied territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Both populations have become more isolated and vulnerable to Russian false information and propaganda. The COVID pandemic reinforces this trend.
Russia has also strengthened its military presence. Both territories have become large military bases used by Moscow to project power throughout the region. Today, 9,000 to 10,000 Russian soldiers are deployed. In addition, the annexation continues slowly along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL). The territory of Georgia is shrinking centimeter by centimeter. This situation has also led to the continued arbitrary detention of Georgian citizens.
Human rights have also been in free fall, many Human rights violation It happens every day. International human rights monitors and humanitarian aid continue to be unable to enter the occupied territories. The European Union (EU) Monitoring Mission (EUMM) was unable to perform its mission normally because it was prevented from entering Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Apart from useless remarks, the international community—especially the European Union and the United States—has failed to challenge Russia’s non-compliance and continued occupation.This gives people the impression that they can bear it status quo. Under the co-chairs of the European Union, the United Nations, and the OSCE, the Geneva International Symposium (GID), which brought together participants from Georgia, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and the United States, has become a management rather than conflict resolution tool. Therefore, Russia feels courageous. If the United States, the European Union, and other countries respond more strongly to Russia’s aggression in Georgia, Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and subsequent militarization of Crimea, as well as the 2014 war in eastern Ukraine may be avoided.
What should be done?
Georgia is at the forefront of Russia’s war against democratic values and a free world order. The transatlantic community must support verbal support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The EU/U.S. must show Russia that it needs to fulfill its international obligations or face sanctions, not only because of non-compliance with the ceasefire agreement, but also The European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that it committed human rights violationsThose responsible for the killing and arbitrary detention of Georgian citizens must be held accountable.Russia and In fact The authorities must also release all detained civilians.
Russia should also be urged to withdraw its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as so-called independent countries, and restore cross-ABL mobility and emergency medical services.
The OSCE’s field presence should be re-established in Georgia, and it can operate without opposition within the ABL. This is essential to ease tensions and provide support to local residents on both sides of the ABL.
As Russia and its agents use the COVID pandemic as a reason to postpone quarterly GID discussions, there is an urgent need to revive this process. GID should not talk about stores. It is important that the discussion continues on a regular basis and is result-oriented. Specific goals with a specific time frame should be determined so that discussions in these areas can move forward without reaching a deadlock.
NATO needs to fulfil its commitments to Georgia in Bucharest. Tbilisi has surpassed the standards in meeting the standards of the Receiving Member Action Plan. The unresolved conflict should not become an obstacle to Georgia.There have been many cases History of NATO, When a country joins the alliance and makes a pending request for national unity, Remove disputed territories from the collective security umbrella under Article 5 North Atlantic Treaty.By continuing to procrastinate, the impression given to people is that Russia has a In fact The third party’s veto power on the subject.
South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia, and in the future their people will better become part of the country rather than serve the interests of Russia. However, the Georgian government also has a responsibility to make itself more attractive to leaving the region. Tbilisi should redouble its efforts related to peace and trust-building efforts to stimulate interest in the process of reconciliation while further strengthening democracy and fundamental rights and freedoms.
It is also crucial for the EU to strengthen its presence in the South Caucasus more broadly, especially on security and conflict-related issues. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020, the European Union was marginalized, while Russia and Turkey increased their footholds. As Russia promotes a ceasefire and subsequently deploys peacekeepers, Russia’s presence and influence are greater than before.EU has Expressed to strengthen contacts with the South Caucasus, Including conflict resolution, should be welcomed. Having said that, concrete actions are still needed, which should include a clear strategy for the region.
