EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Russia’s continuing occupation of internationally recognized Georgian territory in Abkhazia and South Ossetia creates an unsustainable tinderbox which could at any moment destabilizes the region and disrupt European security. There is ample evidence that Russia is not just annexing these territories, but is using them as bases to violently destabilize Georgia from within.
- In contravention of ceasefire agreements, and in contrast to Georgia, Russia has blocked all access to international observers in the occupied territories. This is not only a human rights issue, but a conflict monitoring issue with implications beyond Georgia’s national interests.
- The international community and the United Kingdom in particular should make concerted efforts to ensure that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) is able to fulfil its mandate, with which Russia agreed, to monitor both sides of the occupation lines. The EUMM ’s capacity should also be expanded and eventually transform into a peacekeeping mechanism. Only this will ensure that the 2008 conflict is not repeated.
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