Many European countries still avoid using term “occupation” for Russia’s presence in Georgia. Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament said this during his address at the winter meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“The recent developments have underscored the fragility of major powers’ adherence to the core principles of international law such as territorial integrity. This is particularly concerning for small countries like Georgia, whose regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali remain under Russian occupation and hundreds of thousands of Georgian internally displaced persons keep enduring trauma that has spanned more than three decades.

The situation on the ground is further aggravated by the current policies of Russian-backed separatist so-called “authorities” that bar ethnically Georgian children living in the occupied territories from receiving an education in their native language. Occupation forces are also engaging in the systematic alteration and whitewashing of Georgian churches, deliberately erasing Georgian religious and cultural traces from the land that has been an integral part of Georgian statehood throughout history. Kidnaping, extortion, and even shootings of Georgian citizens residing near the occupation line have become a routine occurrence by Russian forces.

In this regard, the ambiguous stance and hesitation of certain states and governments that position themselves as friends of Georgia is very disappointing. Up to this date, many European states and the European Union refrain from officially using the term “occupation” when describing Russian presence in Georgia’s occupied territories. Moreover, while presenting themselves as staunch defenders of international law they cultivate cordial ties with the very states and regimes that recognize Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region as independent states at the behest of Moscow, thereby grossly violating international law.

Recently, the EU has announced the allocation of a major financial aid package for 2026-2027 to Syria that exceeds 600 million euros. Yet the EU has not tied financial aid to the reversal of Syria’s recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (so-called “South Ossetia”) by the new Government in Damascus.

Same goes for EU’s support to another violator of Georgia’s territorial integrity - the pacific island of Nauru.

Nauru is included in programs under the EU’s Regional Pacific Cooperation framework, the Global Gateway initiative, etc., aimed at bolstering its climate resilience, sustainable development, public finance management and so forth, with the funds amounting to millions of euros in total. Neither in this case had the EU urged Nauruan authorities to stop violating international law and withdraw recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region.

Therefore, any financial aid given to violators of international law should be conditioned upon their respect of its core norms”, - said Nikoloz Samkharadze.