EU ignores Tbilisi’s calls to cut aid for states recognising independence of its occupied regions – ruling party MP

Levan Karumidze, the Deputy head of the Georgian Parliament’s European Integration Committee, on Thursday said the European Union had been “ignoring” Tbilisi’s calls over the years to add the concept of conditionality in its financial aid and development promotion programmes in a bid to suspend aid for the states that had followed Moscow’s stance and recognised Georgia’s two occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent states. 

 

Addressing the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee’s 12th session in Brussels, the lawmaker stressed “unfortunately, even today these calls are being ignored, and the interests of Georgia are not foreseen”. 

 

He noted Georgia was refusing to join the bloc’s statements about specific countries –  like Guinea-Bissau, Myanmar and the Central African Republic – to prevent their joining the illegal recognition of Georgian regions as independent states in the future. 

 

“Does anyone here believe that Georgia has any hidden interests in these countries, and therefore we do not join the statements about them, against the background that we are in full compliance with the EU policy towards Syria, Venezuela and Nicaragua? It is very simple – we have nothing to lose with these states as they have already recognised the so-called independence of [our] occupied regions”, Karumidze told the session. 

 

Russia recognised Georgia’s two regions as independent states following its 2008 conflict with Georgia, with only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria joining its move so far. 

 

The rest of the international community is unanimous the regions are integral parts of Georgia and urging Russia to meet the 2008 ceasefire deal with Tbilisi and withdraw its troops from the territories.