Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-13-Speech-3-091"
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"en.20041013.5.3-091"2
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"Madam President, Mr Solana, the popular enthusiasm that led Georgia to conduct its velvet revolution has caused people to have huge expectations. They aspire to better living conditions and political stability and to seeing corruption fought and a state established that is governed by the rule of law.
This new impetus must not weaken, and we all have a responsibility for supporting this peaceful movement. The escalation in violence, together with the killings and woundings condemned last summer in South Ossetia show the extent to which Georgia, like the whole of this Southern Caucasus region, remains fragile and in danger of tipping over into armed conflict. This fear is, unfortunately, exacerbated by recent statements by the Russian authorities, who might carry out pre-emptive strikes in the Southern Caucasus under the banner of their security doctrine. We condemned such strikes in Iraq, and we condemn them in this case. Russia remains, however, in a key position to resolve these regional conflicts, and not only in Georgia. It cannot, however, continue to engage in double-dealing by, on the one hand, supporting the international community in its efforts to help the Georgian authorities establish a state governed by the rule of law and, on the other hand, supporting the Abkhazian and Ossetian separatists by, for example, granting them Russian passports or opening the railway line linking Soukhumi and Russia.
My first question is simple: what are the undertakings that the European Union intends to request of Russia in order to bring about a lasting resolution in this region of the conflicts that have died down but that have not been resolved? The EU’s commitment in this region has certainly been stepped up, as you said, in the form of the EU’s Special Representative and the Rule of Law Mission to Georgia – a first, as you emphasised. The urgency of the situation is such, however, that the EU needs to go further. It must prepare a genuine road map for its representative, who might serve as a facilitator or negotiator in successfully bringing about a peaceful resolution of the conflicts. His help might, for example, be valuable at the next meeting between Georgian prime minister Mr Jvania and the separatist leader of South Ossetia, Mr Kokoity. Georgia is one piece of a giant Caucasian puzzle, and these countries, let us not forget, are European countries. They will be the last candidates for joining a successfully completed EU.
In this context, the other issue is that of integration. Is the EU to remain deaf to the public request made by Mr Saakashvili, President of Georgia, for integration with the European Union? That is a serious and legitimate question. We shall not be satisfied with a commitment to the New Neighbourhood policy whereby we, the European Parliament, have forced the hand of the Council with regard to integrating the Southern Caucasus into that new neighbourhood. Let us not leave these countries alone in facing the issue of European borders. Mr Solana, can we open the doors to the Balkans and close them to the Caucasus?"@en1
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