A European Parliament report adopted on Wednesday highlighted the need for “stronger and more ambitious, credible, strategic, tangible and unified” European Union action to address frozen conflicts across the word, ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and the consequences of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
In the report, the EP recommended the European Commission, the EU Council and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to “enhance their role and meaningful involvement in the processes of conflict prevention and resolution”.
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— Vato Makharoblishvili (@AmbVatoM) January 17, 2024
The body stressed Russia’s ”illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression” against Ukraine, and against Georgia in August 2008, and its consequences around the world highlighted the need for more robust efforts by the bloc and the necessity of the EU setting its own strategic objectives.
Capabilities should be developed and pursued to avoid repeating “prior mistakes” and learning from them, it added.
The EU should commit all the necessary financial resources to tackle the rapidly increasing geopolitical challenges and invest more in preventive diplomacy and other conflict prevention measures to prevent conflicts from spreading, as they are detrimental to the social and economic development of the affected areas”, the report said.
It also stressed the bloc should respond to the “instability” in the wider South Caucasus region and strengthen its diplomatic efforts in the context of the Geneva International Discussions - the format launched in 2008 to address Georgia’s conflict issues - with the aim of ensuring that Russia fulfils its obligations under the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008 to withdraw its troops from occupied Georgian regions.