Lithuanian MEPs release joint statement on anniversary of 2008 Russia-Georgia war

Lithuanian Members of the European Parliament Andrius Kubilius and Rasa Juknevičienė on Saturday released a joint statement on the 14th anniversary of the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia and Russia’s continuing occupation of Georgian territories.

The statement said the August War had been the “first instance” of Putin’s Russia’s “unprovoked military war” of aggression against a sovereign neighbouring state and noted that “a clear and adequate reaction” to this aggressive behaviour of the Kremlin had not been provided by the democratic community of the world, after which Russia had invaded Ukraine in 2014, annexing country’s region of Crimea and in 2022 had launched a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine and the West.

MEPs reaffirmed their “full support” for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and said the democratic community must provide “all necessary assistance and incentives” for Georgia on its path towards EU membership, to overcome “internal political divisions, depolarisation and deoligarchisation".

MEPs criticised leaders of ruling Georgian Dream party for their actions and statements, including their “attempt” to convince Europe that Bidzina Ivanisvhili was not an oligarch and stressed it only “provided further evidence” that he had an “particular influence” on Georgian politics.

The only way for Georgia to protect itself from the Kremlin’s new hybrid and other type of attacks is to do its utmost to ensure that Georgia fulfils 12 conditions laid out by the EU Council and the European Commission in the nearest future [...] The European Parliament expects concrete steps and actions from the leaders of the Georgian Dream ruling party to fulfil the conditions approved by the EU Council”, the statement noted.

In their statement MEPs called on “all political forces and civil society” of Georgia to unite efforts to achieve "swift" implementation of the 12 conditions and noted that Georgia could again become a front-runner of the EU integration process if all parties would work in unison for that goal.