Russia dislikes CoE report on Conflicts in Georgia
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, November 22
The Committee of Ministers Deputies of the Council of Europe (CoE) has discussed the 14th Consolidated Report on the Conflict in Georgia which highlighted human rights violations in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, currently occupied by Russia.
The report was prepared by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland and during the period of April - September 2016.
“It is important that the Council of Europe continues to monitor the commitments undertaken by the Russian Federation and Georgia following the 2008 war, and that it keeps informing the international community on ongoing developments in Georgia's occupied regions,” Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said.
The body added that among other issues, the Secretary General paid “particular attention” to the current difficult human rights situation in Georgia's occupied territories.
“The Georgian delegation, as well as the delegations of the EU and the Council of Europe member states expressed their concern about this issue,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zalkaliani, also made a statement during the meeting, wherein he informed the international community over Russia’s occupation and construction of illegal barbed-wire fences and so-called border signs on Georgian territory.
Zalkaliani called on the Russian Federation to facilitate and grant unrestricted access to the Council of Europe bodies to the areas affected by the conflict in Georgia.
“The Secretary General's 14th Consolidated Report was welcomed by the Council of Europe's member states, which supported the practice of submitting the Secretary General's consolidated reports in the future,” the Foreign Ministry said.
“Only the delegation of the Russian Federation called into question the effectiveness of the Secretary General's consolidated reports,” the Ministry added.
The Ministry hoped that the issue of the "Conflict in Georgia" would remain high on the Council of Europe's political agenda.
