MEPs call for EU peacekeeping force in Georgia
“The EU should consider sending a stabilization mission under the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP)”, highlighted Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, on behalf of the Christian Democratic Group (PO / PPE-DE), during a discussion in the plenary session of the European Parliament on 7 May. A request followed by some groups (ALDE), but not by all. Russia " violates existing agreements and the territorial integrity of Georgia and undermines international peace efforts,” said Saryusz-Wolski, who called on the UN forces on the ground to become a "true force for international peace". He called on the EU Council to consider an ESDP assessment mission to Abkhazia as soon as possible. " The EU should not only be a donor but a real player ", he added. Castigating the destabilizing effect of Russian troops, the Latvian Georgs Andrejevs (Liberal and Democrat, ALDE) endorsed this point of view and the idea of sending troops under EU supervision. But he also called on the Georgian government to put in place a “democratic climate” for the next elections. “Georgia's administrative bodies have not done everything to convince that they have taken into account the concerns of the previous election”.
Russia's current pseudo "peacekeeping" mission has been widely criticized. « This mission (which) occupies the territory in the name of peace, is untenable », stresses Hannes Swoboda (Socialist, Austria). " There was no justification for sending additional (Russian) soldiers”, completed Marie-Anne Isler Beguin (Greens, France). “The situation is close to annexation, there is no trust
to rebuild, the dialogue was broken for two years”. And the one who is also president of the EP delegation for the Caucasus wonders about the EU's responsibility for " stop this escalation of violence ". It also proposes that peacekeeping forces from the international community be deployed in Abkhazia. Konrad Szymansky (sovereignist, PIS - UEN, Poland) particularly criticized the veto of certain States on the accession of Georgia which, according to him, perhaps encouraged Russia in its position. He proposed the organization of a meeting of the UN Security Council and the OSCE, as well as the dispatch of a parliamentary mission to this region ».
At Solana, we kick in touch...
At the Council of the European Union, the High Representative, Javier Solana, reminds us that the sending of European troops is “above all the competence of the Member States. (...) And for the moment, no discussion has taken place or is planned on this subject between ambassadors”.
It should be noted that Georgia recently publicly expressed its desire to deploy an ESDP mission in the region. A resolution was to be voted on the situation in Georgia at the June plenary session of the European Parliament.
