PM: CoE Document Proves Nobody Will put up with Occupation of Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, May 6
Georgian Prime Minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze says that the adoption of the document on Conflict in Georgia by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) means that no one will put up with the occupation of Georgia’s territories by the Russian Federation.
"It is a very important international document and message that we received from the Council of Europe. Nobody will put up with the fact that Russia continues to occupy 20% of our territories. I want to thank our friends and colleagues for this very important support from the Council of Europe”, the PM said.
He added that the Council of Europe called on Russia to stop ethnic discrimination and investigate the deaths of Georgian citizens at the occupied territories.
“The document underlines that there is a conflict between Russia and Georgia. As you know, we often hear from the aggressors' propaganda that this is not the conflict between the two countries. Of course, it is. Russia continues the occupation of our territories and this is mentioned in the document of the CoE,” he stressed, adding that it is necessary to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Russian-occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Bakhtadze noted that Georgia’s choice is the membership of the European and Euro-Atlantic family and this is supported by a large part of the society.
“Involvement of all groups in this process is very important for us to be more successful on the path of integration…We should raise awareness when talking about our goals that Georgia should become a member of the EU and NATO,” the PM said.
The CoE Committee of Deputy Ministers met on May 2 and adopted a decision on the conflict in Georgia, reiterating “the unequivocal support” of the Council member states for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Committee of Ministers is the CoE decision-making body. It meets at ministerial level once a year and at Deputies’ level weekly.
The adopted document reads that more than ten years after the conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia, Russia continues to impede the peaceful conflict resolution process and undermines the security and stability in the region, through increased military exercises and infrastructure reinforcements.
The document expresses concern over the deterioration of the human rights situation in Georgia’s occupied regions, including with regard to the right to life, the right to freedom of movement, the right to property, the right to education in the native language and the right to freedom and security.
CoE also denounced intensified discrimination of Georgians on the grounds of ethnicity, continuous detentions and “impunity surrounding the deaths of ethnic Georgians” there.
