President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Andorra, and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

The EU reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders.

The EU remains committed to supporting peace-building and conflict resolution in Georgia, including through the work of the EUSR, including as co-chair of the Geneva International Discussions and the EU Monitoring Mission Georgia.

The EU expresses its concern about human rights violations in the Georgian occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the persisting humanitarian challenges faced by the conflict-affected population. The EU calls to ensure full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to support these populations, in particular in the occupied breakaway region of South Ossetia. The EU recalls in this respect that humanitarian access is stipulated in the six-point agreement from 12 August 2008.

The EU reiterates its serious concern regarding recent developments in Georgia. The EU underlines the importance of peacebuilding activities implemented by non-governmental organizations and civil society actors across the divides and to continue in this vein ensuring an enabling environment for civil society organisations.

The EU underlines the importance of the right of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons to choose a durable solution, including a voluntary, safe and dignified return, as well as of being able to exercise property rights. The EU regrets that so far no progress has been achieved on these issues and recalls that addressing refugees’ and IDPs’ issues is a core task of the Geneva International Discussions. The EU therefore calls upon the participants in the Geneva International Discussions to engage in a genuine dialogue on the various displacements which took place over the past three decades, as well as partial returns of IDPs, with a view to enhancing their protection, and to seek pragmatic approaches and durable solutions including further returns.

The EU welcomes the efforts of the Georgian government to find durable housing solutions for IDPs and to promote their socio-economic integration. We encourage the Government to continue IDP inclusion and prioritisation in the national development plan, and to make further efforts to improve their living conditions and livelihoods.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.