European Parliament referred to the Georgian regions as the ”occupied territories”

Euro Parliament’s resolution passed on January 20 calls on the EU to draw up a strategy on the Black Sea region to define its “comprehensive approach” to address challenges in the area .
The introductory statement says: “having regard to the Association Partnership with Turkey,
– having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements concluded with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and to the ongoing negotiations on new Association Agreements, as well as to the respective ENPAction Plans,
– having regard to the ENP Progress Reports on Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine adopted by the Commission on 12 May 2010,
– having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement concluded with the Russian Federation, and to the ongoing negotiations on a new EU-Russia Agreement
whereas the French Presidency’s mission, together with action by the Member States, demonstrated the EU’s commitment to containing and resolving the conflict in Georgia”.
Article 24 of the strategy says: “Calls on the Vice-President/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to step up efforts to encourage Russia to comply with the six-point Sarkozy Plan to stabilise and resolve the conflict in Georgia”
Article 32 states:” Notes that increasing respect for human rights and democracy around the world is among the EU’s priorities; points out that human rights violations are a daily occurrence in occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia; calls on the EU, and particularly the EEAS, therefore, to respond actively to all kinds of human rights violations in the Black Sea region”
In a responsive statement released shortly after the resolution was passed, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that it “highly appreciates the initiative to elaborate the Black Sea Strategy.”
“It is noteworthy that the European Parliament referred to the Georgian regions as the ‘occupied territories’,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

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