Opposition says Russian FM Lavrov mustn’t be allowed into Georgia during CoE ministerial
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Georgian opposition says that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Russian delegation must not be allowed into Georgia during the Council of Europe (CoE) ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020, which Georgia will host as the CoE chair country.
Gigi Ugulava, leader of the opposition party European Georgia, says that Lavrov has violated Georgian law on the occupied territories several times, and that “those who allow him to enter Georgia will be held accountable.”
Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili and Vice Parliament Speaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party Giorgi Volski say that the CoE chairmanship is a “huge responsibility for Georgia, and Georgia will have to think as the CoE chair country.”
Georgia, as the head of the CoE Committee of Ministers, will act in line with the Council of Europe rules and regulations,” Tsikhelashvili said.
Georgia became the CoE chair country on November 27, 2019. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said that “if Lavrov enters Georgia he will see the protest against occupation of Georgian territories by his country and will hear very principled political statements by the government of Georgia members.”
From November 27, 2019 until May 15, 2020, Georgia will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), a decision-making body composed of the ministers of foreign affairs of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, or their permanent representatives in Strasbourg.
On the day Georgia took over the chairmanship from France, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the CoE chairmanship “is both a big responsibility and a big opportunity for Georgia.”
Georgia will take over the chairmanship of Council of Europe’s (CoE) Committee of Ministers for a six-month term from November 2019 to May 2020. The chairmanship will be passed from France to Georgia at a meeting in mid-November 2019 at the CoE’s Strasbourg headquarters, attended by representatives of its 47 member states.
Georgia has made a voluntary contribution of €500,000 towards Council of Europe (CoE) projects as the new char of the organisation, the Council of Europe reports.CoE says the funds will support the priorities of the Georgian chairmanship: human rights and environmental protection; citizen participation in decision-making; child-friendly justice - converging experience on restorative justice in Europe, strengthening democracy through education, culture and youth engagement.
The youth wing of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has announced a large gathering of its young activists “and everyone interested” from Tbilisi and the regions on December 14 to mark Georgia’s chairmanship of CoE.
Starting today until May 15, 2020 Georgia will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), a decision making body composed of the ministers of foreign affairs of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe or their permanent representatives in Strasbourg.Georgia has taken over the chairmanship from France.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that the June 2019 ‘provocations’ [referring to protests in Tbilisi] have negatively influenced the process of normalising relations between the two countries which was launched in 2012 under the Georgian Dream leadership.
Several Georgian NGOs and the parliamentary opposition have criticised Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili for her statement made at PACE yesterday, where she said that Georgia is likely to allow a Russian delegation, including Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, into Georgia during the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Gregori Karasin says that a Russian delegation will attend the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May 2020, which Georgia will be hosting as the Council of Europe chair.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that the visits of foreign officials must not be a problem for any sovereign state, responding to the recent turmoil over the CoE ministerial scheduled in Tbilisi for May.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has responded to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, stating that if her words that ‘Russia takes Georgia as a sovereign country’ are not empty, ‘withdraw your troops from Georgian territory.’ Zakharova earlier spoke about the upcoming CoE ministerial in Tbilisi and the recent turmoil around the possible visit of Russian officials to Georgia during the event, stating that ‘visits of foreign officials must not be a problem for any sovereign state’.
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov says that the Russian government is ready to discuss the opening of a trade representation in Georgia if Tbilisi makes such an offer.
The head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergey Naryshkin says that the US is undermining the Georgian Dream leadership ‘for its disobedience’ and is backing the country’s opposition.