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Abkhazia calls biased, one-sided European parliament resolution

The European Parliament recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as ‘occupied territories’ does not hold water, the ministry said

SUKHUMI, November 22 (Itar-Tass) —— The Abkhaz Foreign Ministry has called biased and one-sided the European Parliament resolution on the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.

“European parliament deputies, who unanimously approved the flagrantly biased and one-sided resolution, displayed their political engagement and unwillingness to reckon with the regional political realities. They did not try to listen to the other party or send missions to Abkhazia and South Ossetia for verifying the Georgian ‘occupation’ claims,” the ministry said.

The European Parliament recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as ‘occupied territories’ does not hold water, the ministry said. “The Russian military units are present on the territories of the sovereign republics in strict compliance with bilateral agreements. State governance in the countries is exercised by elected local authorities, the same as in any other sovereign democracy, rather than by foreign military authorities,” it noted.

The ministry views the appeal for Russia’s repealing its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as an attempt “to interfere in international affairs of sovereign states, which have legalized their strategic partnership with interstate agreements.”

“Against the backdrop of the clearly one-sided position of European institutions in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict,” the Abkhaz Foreign Ministry is surprised to hear the European Parliament’s appeal for the admission of a EU monitoring mission to the territory of Abkhazia.

“It will be impossible to discuss the presence of European monitors on the sovereign territory of Abkhazia as long as the EU biased and tendentious position dominates with the taking into account of the interests and opinion of only one party to the conflict – Georgia. This attitude is vividly illustrated with this resolution,” the ministry said.

“Abkhazia’s statehood has been time tested. Modern Abkhazia is a dynamically developing free and democratic European country based on the supremacy of law and respect for human rights, including rights of national minorities. Its sovereign status is recognized by six UN member states. Further strengthening of Abkhazia’s statehood and its recognition by other states are irreversible processes. The sooner Europe, including the European Parliament, understands that the closer the final settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict will be,” the ministry said.

The European Parliament resolution pledged to strengthen the EU's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and recognized Georgia's regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia as occupied territories.

The resolution also pledged to intensify talks with the Russian Federation to ensure that it fulfils unconditionally all the provisions of the cease-fire agreement of 12 August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, particularly the provision stating that Russia shall guarantee EUMM full unlimited access to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and underscored the necessity of providing stability in the aforementioned regions of Georgia.

It called on Russia to reverse its recognition of the separation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, to end the occupation of those Georgian territories and to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia as well as the inviolability of its internationally-recognized borders as provided for by international law, the UN Charter, the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

It also welcomed the unilateral commitment by Georgia not to use force to restore control over the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as declared by President Saakashvili to the European Parliament on 23 November 2010 and call upon Russia to reciprocate the commitment to the non-use of force against Georgia and Georgia's Strategy on Occupied Territories and Action Plan for Engagement as an important tool for reconciliation and stress the need for enhanced dialog and people-to-people contacts with the local populations of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in order to make reconciliation possible.