During the plenary session (11-14 June 2018) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on Georgian occupied territories, ten years after the Russian invasion. Statements by Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO), Victor BOŞTINARU (S&D, RO) and Javier NART (ALDE, ES).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Russia (T)

EU - Georgia (T)

PREDA, Cristian Dan (EPP, RO)

MOGHERINI, Federica (IT, EC)

NART, Javier (Renew, ES)

BOŞTINARU, Victor (S&D, RO)

Georgian occupied territories - ten years after the Russian invasion: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, The European Union has been the central actor in the process to manage the consequences of the conflict, to improve the lives of all the people in the region and to find a lasting solution. We have, as European Union, a very special role to play, particularly because of our European Union monitoring mission to Georgia. Today we are the only international monitoring presence in the field.

SOUNDBITE (English), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, Our approach is to include the breakaway regions in our programs in Georgia, whenever this is possible. This is what we are doing, for instance, with our programs on agriculture, our rural development and vocational training. We are also assisting civil society initiatives in the entities. We support all of the initiatives that can help re-establish confidence between the sides. Such as people to people contacts, dialog processes and academic exchanges. All our actions between the two regions are fully coordinated and approved by the government of Georgia and in full line with the Georgian engagement policy.

SOUNDBITE (French), Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO), What happened in 2008 was the invasion of the neighbouring country, an independent neighbouring country and ten years after that, Russia is doing everything it can on the ground to have a de facto annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which flouts all principles of international law. It is unacceptable and we have to also bear in mind that before this invasion, unfortunately, it was impossible to take the decision to let Georgia let join in NATO and that is, unfortunate, I think it was down to the lack of solidarity and short-sightedness.

SOUNDBITE (English), Victor BO&#350;TINARU (S&amp;D, RO), We also condemn the Russia&rsquo;s disinformation and hybrid war and we call on EU to help our Georgian friends to face all this challenges and to take the lead towards the permanent solution granting the territorial integrity and sovereignty.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Javier NART (ALDE, ES), The reality is, the lack of a being uniformed in our resolution, basically endangers that what we then supported with rhetorical declarations, the integration in NATO. In Spain, we sometimes say, sometimes love can kill.