SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

RESOLUTION

ON GEORGIA’S STEPS ON THE PATH OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

23 March 2023 No XIV-1831

Vilnius

The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

having regard to the firm aspiration of the people of Georgia to integrate into the European Union and NATO, Lithuania’s strong support for the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration and the ambitious reforms being pursued by Georgia,

drawing attention to Lithuania’s strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders,

noting the mutual interest of Lithuania and Georgia in strengthening and developing bilateral relations based on the principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and freedoms, European and Euro-Atlantic values,

having regard to the application for membership of the European Union submitted by the Government of Georgia and Lithuania’s strong and consistent support for this aspiration,

recalling the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration stating that Georgia will become a member of NATO and Lithuania’s strong and consistent support for this aspiration of Georgia,

reminding the attempt to adopt the controversial ‘foreign agents’ law, which sparked mass public protests and was rejected following opposition of the public,

emphasising the necessity to ensure freedom of speech and freedom of assembly,

drawing attention to the fact that Georgians are among those fighting on the Ukrainian side against the occupation forces of the Russian Federation and that they formed the Georgian Legion as far back as in 2014, shortly after the Russian Federation illegally annexed Crimea and started inciting unrest in the eastern Donbas region,

pointing out that the health condition of former Georgian President and Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been detained since October 2021 and who is currently held in the Medical Centre Vivamedi in Tbilisi, remains severe and life-threatening and recalling that, in December 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, made a public appeal to the Government of Georgia about the health condition of Mikheil Saakashvili, urging it to show mercy and to allow him to receive medical treatment abroad,

noting that the sentencing of Nika Gvaramia, the director of the pro-opposition TV channel Mtavari, on 16 May 2022 raises serious questions as to the independence of the judicial procedure,

appreciates the progress made by Georgia on the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration and urges not to divert from it;

encourages all political forces in Georgia to return to the implementation of the provisions of the EU- and US-mediated agreement of 19 April 2021 as a significant basis for Georgia’s further aspirations for integration into the EU and NATO;

calls on the Georgian authorities to refrain from any controversial legislative and other initiatives that restrict human rights and freedom of expression, limit civil society activities and/or are detrimental to Georgia’s accession to the EU and NATO;

invites the Government of Georgia to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s aggression as it is fighting not only for its own security and freedom but also for the security and freedom of the entire region;

calls on the Government of Georgia to join the sanctions imposed by the Western community on the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus and to ensure the proper and strict implementation of these sanctions;

calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately initiate decisions on the transfer of Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili to a medical facility in Ukraine, an EU Member State or the United States of America, enabling him to receive proper medical treatment.

Speaker of the Seimas                                                                               Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen