The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) parliamentary assembly has called for Russia’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal from the occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia. This demand was articulated during the OSCE’s 31st annual session held in Bucharest from June 29 to July 3, 2024. The assembly’s resolution, embedded in the Bucharest declaration, reiterates calls made in previous declarations, such as the Vancouver Declaration.
Russia’s occupation of these territories began during the hostilities in South Ossetia in August 2008, when clashes broke out between Georgian forces and separatist authorities supported by Russian security agencies. Despite the ceasefire agreement mediated by the European Union on August 12, 2008, Russian forces have continued to maintain a presence in the occupied regions.
In April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia’s occupation systematically violated the human rights of Georgian citizens.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Georgian Parliament, brought the issue to the forefront during the OSCE session. Addressing the General Committee on Political Affairs and Security, Samkharadze emphasized that 20 percent of Georgia’s territory remains under Russian occupation, with 300,000 citizens internally displaced as a result. He urged the international community to take more decisive action, highlighting that ongoing negotiations have yet to normalize the peace process.
The OSCE’s resolution also condemns human rights abuses in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali and criticizes the Russian Federation’s policy of “Russification,” which has led to the alteration and obliteration of Georgian cultural heritage in these regions. The assembly called for continued engagement within the Geneva International Discussions framework to achieve a peaceful resolution that respects Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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