SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
STATEMENT ON GEORGIA’S EURO-ATLANTIC MEMBERSHIP
6 April 2022 Vilnius
The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,
fully supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity and the choice of the authorities and the people of Georgia to seek membership of the European Union and NATO,
deploring the lack of political will that prevented the international community from making the decisions needed for NATO accession of Georgia and Ukraine in 2008; noting that the aggression of the Russian Federation against Georgia in 2008 and today’s undeclared war by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the pressure on other states sharing democratic values represents the result of that indecisiveness; and, moreover, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine proves once again that Putin’s objective is to destroy the existing security architecture in Europe and undermine the fundamental principles of European security and violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries that seek membership of alliances they find acceptable for ensuring their security and economic and social wellbeing,
noting that Georgia and Ukraine have a shared European prospect and both constitute targets of Russia’s aggressive policy aimed at reclaiming Georgia and Ukraine into the sphere of influence of Russia; and stressing that Russia’s illegal actions in the occupied Abkhazia and Tschinvali Regions, Georgia, are replicated in the Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, the Crimea and Sevastopol,
noting that the deep political polarisation in Georgia, attacks on the media and imprisonment of political opponents function to reinforce Russia’s malign influence over the Georgian society,
condemning the establishment in Georgia of signs to perpetuate the memory of the dictator of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin; 2 2
considering intolerable the Kremlin`s political, economic and social pressure on Georgia;
is concerned over public statements by the Government of Georgia announcing its refusal to join the economic and individual sanctions against Russia imposed by the European Union, NATO and other democratic states;
supports Georgia’s integration into NATO and the European Union, and invites NATO countries and EU Member States to support the drafting of an Action Plan for Georgia’s NATO accession and granting the status of an EU candidate country to Georgia, given Georgia joins the EU’s common foreign and security policy statements as well as the policies and sanctions of NATO countries and EU Member States targeted against the autocratic regimes in Belarus and Russia;
calls on the Government of Georgia to avoid any steps that may facilitate circumvention of sanctions on Russia and Belarus imposed by the EU, NATO and other democratic states due to their aggression against Ukraine;
condemns any initiative by the leaders of the illegally occupied Abkhazia and Tschinvali Regions to hold a referendum on status change under the current conditions of occupation;
calls on the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces from the occupied territories in Georgia;
deplores the current intergovernmental relations between Georgia and Ukraine, as well as the statements made by Georgian politicians and leaders of the ruling party to undermine the Ukrainian leadership and Ukraine’s heroic fight for European freedoms and values;
appreciates the full support and solidarity of the Georgian people with Ukraine, and invites the Georgian Government and the Georgian Dream, as the ruling political party, to express full support for the Ukrainian Government;
calls on the Government of Georgia to facilitate the transfer of the former Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is held in prison and has serious health issues, to a European state for urgent treatment, which would contribute to political depolarization and prevent interference by Russia and its satellites into the domestic and foreign policy affairs of Georgia;
calls on all Georgian political parties to join their forces in the face of the dangers posed by Russia, as unity is needed for defending the national interests and territorial integrity of Georgia.
Laima Liucija Andrikienė
Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs