The European Parliament approved the resolution – “on Georgian occupied territories 10 years after the Russian invasion”. The resolution was approved with the majority of votes of MEPs.

According to resolution, EU parliament reiterates that sovereignty, independence and the peaceful settlement of disputes are key principles of the European security order; stresses that the resolution of conflicts in Georgia is essential to enhancing the security and stability of the European continent as a whole; considers that these conflicts and the continuing occupation of Georgian territories remain a potential threat to the sovereignty of other European countries;

European Parliament Demands that the Russian Federation reverse its decision to recognise the so-called independence of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia; stresses the need for the Russian Federation to unconditionally fulfil all the provisions of the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, in particular the commitment to withdrawing all its military forces from the territory of Georgia.

European parliament demands that the Russian Federation cease its occupation of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as the inviolability of its internationally recognised borders and that it stop the de facto integration of both regions into Russian administration; Calls on the Russian Federation to cease further borderisation of the ABL, which it is seeking to achieve by installing barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers; calls also for an end to the encroachment into territory controlled by the Georgian Government and further extension of the ABL, intentionally hindering people-to-people contact and isolating the population of both occupied regions.

The MEPs welcomes the new peace initiative of the Government of Georgia entitled ‘A Step to a Better Future’, aimed at improving the humanitarian and socio-economic conditions of people residing in the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and fostering people-to-people contact and confidence building between divided communities.

Also, welcomes the adoption by the Parliament of Georgia of the bi-partisan resolution which establishes a blacklist of perpetrators and persons responsible for the cover-up of such violations (Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list) and calls on the Member States and the Council to blacklist and impose national and EU-wide sanctions on those who appear or who may appear on the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list.