H.E. Mr. George Zurabashvili:

Dear Chairman and members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Relations and Defence, I thank you for your incredible words and generous introduction. It is a great honour and privilege to be invited to this historic building, Leinster House, by the respected committee to represent my country and to brief members on the challenges Georgia has and the ongoing Russian occupation, and also to share the progress Georgia has been successfully achieving towards further European Union integration, as well as to mark out the excellent bilateral relations between our countries. I am conscious that this is the first opportunity I have had to address members since the respected committee was selected. Moreover, since Ireland has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, I would sincerely like to congratulate it.

Georgia’s stated aspirations to European and Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as its rigid democratic and economic growth, have further solidified Russia’s aggression against a sovereign neighbour, with the main intention being to keep Georgia under its direct political influence and domination. It is important to emphasise that the conflict in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia is not an internal rebellion or a civil war, but a co-ordinated attack fomented, planned and carried out by the Russian Federation. Russia’s military forces and units and Russian citizens directly participate in the military operations, using Russian military equipment. The plans to storm and occupy Georgian regions were drawn up and approved in Moscow. Faced with well-trained and well-equipped military units of Russia, Georgia lost de factocontrol over the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions. As a result of Russian military aggression, illegal proxy regimes were created by Russia in both the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia.

Throughout almost 30 years of the Russia–Georgia conflict from 1991 to the current day, the ethnic Georgian population has been subjected to atrocities, including mass murder, torture, rape and pillage. The Georgian nation has suffered through three massive waves of ethnic cleansing in both the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia, which has resulted in 500,000 internally displaced persons, IDPs, and refugees, for which the Russian Federation is responsible. During the August 2008 war, Russia conducted a large-scale military attack against sovereign Georgia on land, at sea, by air and via cyberspace. As a result, Russia has additionally occupied 125 villages and has burnt out, destroyed and flattened the houses of 35,000 Georgians in order to preclude any return of the expelled population, trying to change the traces of history and pretending Georgians never lived here. Those few who have escaped atrocities and have remained in the Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions are constantly subject to massive human rights violations.

In April 2011, the Russian occupation forces started the installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial obstacles along the occupation line in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia. This process of borderisation has further intensified and actively continues now. The length of barbed wire fences and barriers along the occupation line in the occupied Abkhazia region exceeds 49 km, and in the Tskhinvali region it exceeds 52 km. As a result, the local population is cut off from agricultural and grazing lands, potable and irrigation water systems, and churches and cemeteries. Residing on different sides of the occupation line, more than 800 families are denied contact with each other. Those few ethnic Georgians who are left beyond the occupation line are deprived of fundamental human rights, including free movement, civil rights, property rights, education rights in the native Georgian language, health services and so on.

The native Georgians are forced to take Russian passports or register as foreigners. They are forced to change Georgian names and surnames. Almost all original Georgian toponymic names of cities, villages and streets are also changed. We witness frequent cases of illegal kidnapping, detention, torture and murder of those who live along the occupation line. The brutality of such actions is beyond human nature.

Russian occupation forces continuously move the occupation line deeper into the country, seizing thousands of acres of Georgian lands, advancing closer to the vitally important east-west highway, grabbing territories where crucial pipelines carry oil and gas to the EU markets. The creeping occupation brings fear to the local population, destruction to the economy and undermines security. Currently, 20% of Georgian territory is occupied by the Russians.

The Russian Federation refuses to fulfil its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement that was mediated by the European Union under the French Presidency. The six-point agreement envisages the non-use of force, which Georgia has signed unilaterally as Russia declines to meet this obligation. Georgia calls for withdrawal of the Russian troops from our territories as stated in the same agreement. Instead, Russia has built two illegal military bases in both occupied regions where more than 10,000 Russian military and security personnel are stationed. In addition, Russia maintains 2,600 KGB or FSB agents and border guards to control the occupation line and adjacent territories. The Russian illegal military bases are well equipped with modern military hardware, including tanks, artillery, military drones and ballistic missiles with the capability of wearing conventional and nuclear warheads. Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet is in constant movement in the Abkhaz section of Georgia’s territorial waters, while military planes of Russia’s air force constantly violate the airspace of both regions. The permanent military drills conducted by Russia on the occupied territories constitutes further threat to local and regional security.

We remember well the visit to Georgia in November 2008 by the then Minister for Foreign Affairs and now Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin. We remain immensely grateful to the Irish Government and the European Union for launching the European Union monitoring mission, the non-military observers’ mission, with eight Irish serving on the ground in Georgia, observing the occupation line. However, again, the Russian Federation breached the ceasefire agreement mediated by the EU and does not allow the EU monitoring mission to cross the occupation line to carry out its mandate fully. Even worse, a few months ago the occupation regime kidnapped and detained one of the international observers.

Russia is continuing to violate the basic principles of international law through the legitimisation of forced territorial and demographic changes through occupation and ethnic cleansing and recognising the so-called independence of the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia. Furthermore, through political and financial pressure, Russia forces others to do so, as Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and, most recently, the Assad regime in Syria did.

The Russian Federation continues the illegal process of de facto annexation of these regions through signing so-called treaties on alliance and integration with the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali occupation regimes, thus fully incorporating Georgia's occupied regions into Russia's military, political, economic, social and legal systems. A few weeks ago, the Russian President announced the creation of a common socioeconomic and defence space with the occupied Abkhazia region of Georgia.

Through these destabilizing steps, in an attempt to change sovereign borders in Europe, the Russian Federation poses a serious threat to peace and security on the European Continent. It is of crucial necessity that the international community does not turn a blind eye to the alarming processes the Russian Federation is carrying out through de facto annexation of Georgia's occupied territories and projecting power in the wider Black Sea region and the southern Caucasus.

Georgia remains firmly committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict and de-escalation of tensions with Russia based on respect of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it has undertaken concrete steps by adopting A Step to a Better Future, the peaceful integration programme for both regions.

The response of the European Union as a guarantor of the ceasefire agreement needs to be stronger, more decisive and resolute in defending the principles of respecting the agreement, and it needs to call on Russia to implement its obligations under the EU-mediated 2008 ceasefire agreement, cease its illegal steps towards de facto annexation of Georgia’s occupied territories and withdraw its military forces from Georgian soil.

We appeal to our international partners and allies to demonstrate a firm stance, make strong public statements and take actions in the respective capitals to give due assessment to the illegal developments I have mentioned. The European Union and the international community should make Russia accountable to international law, because in the modern world the rule of law must govern and justice must prevail.

We are grateful to the Irish Government and to the Oireachtas for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity, for co-sponsoring multiple UN resolutions on the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons to their true homes, and for the motions passed in Oireachtas, as I anticipate seeing other resolutions on Georgia’s territorial integrity and EU membership as a reiteration of Ireland's continued support.

Today, in speaking to the committee and in speaking to Ireland as a friendly nation, a fully fledged EU member state and a newly elected non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, I remain confident that the occupation Georgia faces and the crimes against humanity that Georgians suffer because of the devastating policy of the Russian Federation will be strongly condemned, efficiently tackled and the actions towards de-occupation will be executed. We are not living in a perfect world but definitely we together can make it more human, more secure and better protected.

In parallel, the country is progressing well towards European Union integration. Strong leadership of the Government based on the nation’s destiny towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration, which is firmly reflected in our constitution, will achieve our success. The Georgian Government has declared it will submit an EU membership application by 2024.

European values are exactly what determine Georgia's European path. We Georgians share exactly the same values as the EU does and our shared past is an integral part of our shared future. Therefore, we are confident that only by embracing political and economic interdependence can we both progress and develop further.

Dreams do not work unless we do. In terms of the eastern partnership, we have signed an association agreement with the European Union that opens a new chapter in Georgia's relations with the EU. In this direction, our next goal is to join the Single Market, the single euro payment area and the single telecommunications space, and incorporate into educational domains, the transportation network and many more.

Since the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement signed with the European Union, the EU has become the major trade partner for Georgia, with a 12% increase in our trade balance sheet. Georgia invites Irish businesses to enjoy our favourable location, which is a gateway from Europe to Asia, as we provide free market access to a population market of more than 2 billion through free trade with China, including Hong Kong, central Asia and all neighbouring countries.

Avoidance of double taxation is another strong incentive for Irish companies. The competitive advantage of Georgia is based on the rule of law, with a liberal market economy and well-regulated property rights, an easy, friendly and corruption-free business environment and a skilled and cheap labour force. The phenomenal progress Georgia has achieved in the past decade comes through the elementary tax code system designed by the Government to ease business conditions. Georgia is ranked seventh in the world in the World Bank ease of doing business index and it is ranked fifth on economic freedom by the Fraser Institute.

Georgia possesses huge potential in green hydropower generation. We are studying closely the project to construct a novel Black Sea underwater electricity transmission line to supply the EU with much-needed green energy.

In a world of digitisation, Internet cables stretching along the seabed are among the top priorities, as the Black Sea has turned out to be a sea of connectivity.

Georgia contributes to global security and participates in all counterterrorism operations led by the United States and in various EU peacekeeping missions. Although EU membership is not currently on the table, it is our goal that Georgia will become a member of the European Union. We call on the EU to further shape co-operation with Georgia as a potential candidate country. Being defined as a potential candidate country will be a sign of great support to Georgia's democracy and will certainly further consolidate Georgia's democratic and economic reforms.

Nowadays, the increasing bilateral relations require reciprocation by the Irish Government to open an Irish embassy in Tbilisi, which will definitely contribute to the Irish global footprint policy. It will also benefit Ireland as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, open new horizons for Irish businesses and contribute to our bilateral relations.

Our friendship is strong and firm, while the relations are sincere, reliable and trusting. We commit insofar as we can to support Ireland in whatever it needs and whenever it asks, on the international arena and in all multilateral formats of our competence. We remain more connected, more interactive and more relevant than ever before.

I thank members of the committee and invite them to ask any questions they may have.