European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that during talks with the Syrian leadership, the EU intends to raise the issue of Syria withdrawing its recognition of the independence of Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories — Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).
This is stated in a letter in which von der Leyen responded to an appeal from Georgia’s Coalition for Change, an informal political group bringing together pro-Western liberal parties. The coalition currently includes Akhali, Girchi-More Freedom, Droa, the Republican Party and the Activists for the Future movement.
Syria recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 29 May 2018, under Bashar al-Assad. At the same time, Syria announced that it was establishing diplomatic relations with both regions. Georgia responded by severing diplomatic relations with Syria.
Coalition leader Nika Gvaramia said at a briefing that the coalition had asked the European Commission president to make the withdrawal of recognition of Georgia’s and Ukraine’s occupied and annexed territories one of the key issues in talks with Syria.
According to Gvaramia, von der Leyen’s letter states that the EU remains committed to Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Gvaramia said this position is particularly important for Georgia because Syria needs European assistance. “Therefore, such pressure could play an important role in the decision to withdraw the recognition,” he said.
He also recalled that on 30 July, the government of Nauru officially withdrew its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.
Four UN member states currently recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Syria.
What the Coalition for Change said in its letter to Ursula von der Leyen
“For more than three decades, Abkhazia and so-called South Ossetia have been under Russia’s illegal occupation, while the decisions to recognise them adopted by the Assad regime directly undermine Georgia’s sovereignty,” the letter says.
The coalition believes that EU cooperation with Syria’s new government creates an opportunity to reverse these decisions and restore respect for Georgia’s internationally recognised borders.
The coalition said it is ready to assist the European Union in this process by providing information and helping establish contacts.
