Georgian NGOs release statement on Ukraine
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Tuesday, January 28
Georgian NGO’s expressed their position about the situation in Ukraine. The statement signed by more than 60 groups says that for the past two months, the Ukrainian government has been neglecting people’s legitimate and peaceful demands, and adopted laws restricting the civil rights of citizens, thus provoking protesters and contributing to escalating mass tension.
The statement says that each nation has the right to determine its future, global orientation and the way of development, while “the government, personifying its will, is tasked with putting the national aspirations into practice.”
The statement further reads that “the Ukrainian government, which came into power with promises to accelerate the process of European integration, refused to sign the Association Agreement with the EU prior to the Vilnius Summit, by using arguments not convincing enough for the Ukrainian people, thus placing the future of the country at risk.”
NGOs, most of whom are the members of the Georgian National Platform, called on the Ukrainian government to demonstrate good will and launch negotiations with the authorized representatives of the opposition and civil society.
They also call on EU institutions to use all possible leverage and convince the Ukrainian government of the necessity to abstain from using force against protesters and launch constructive negotiations with the opposition.
NGOs also call on the Georgian government to timely assess the laws adopted by the Ukrainian Rada and urge the high Ukrainian authorities to protect and respect the human dignity and free choice, and show the political will to resolve the crisis in a fair and peaceful manner.
Meanwhile, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) released a statement of NGOs and the representatives of the Georgian civil society stressing that “People of Ukraine and Georgia are historically European nations who share the tragic and brutal history of Soviet occupation. Our common past compels us today to join efforts in defending our nations’ European future.
The statement further reads that “Moscow’s position on Ukraine’s European integration is yet another demonstration of Russia’s ambition to create new dividing lines in Europe. We therefore want to join hands with our Ukrainian colleagues in stating that Russia shall not be allowed to violently reverse the European future of our countries.”
Georgian NGOs also offer their help of professional and intellectual assistance to Ukrainian civil society organizations with sharing their experience and knowledge in various fields, such as facilitating international communication, providing legal expertise for the relevant issues, supporting Ukrainian civil society in finding solutions to the existing daily challenges, advising on finding the most civilized and peaceful ways out from the existing political crisis.