Congress of Council of Europe: Russia-Abkhazia treaty destabilises Europe

The Congress of the Council of Europe has condemned the so-called ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region.

The Congress of the Council of Europe is an institution representing local and regional authorities from the 47 member states of the Council of Europe.

President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Jean-Claude Frecon said Congress could not recognise the validity of the so-called treaty adopted "in violation of the territorial integrity of a member state of the Council of Europe”.

He added that the November 24 treaty between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region was "one more factor in the destabilisation of this part of Europe”.

Frecon also expressed regret that the Russian Federation was, in Georgia as in Ukraine, committing acts which were not helpful to the efforts to find peaceful ways of settling conflicts.

The Congress of the Council of Europe strives to promote local and regional democracy, improve local and regional governance and strengthen authorities’ self-government. It encourages the devolution and regionalisation processes, as well as trans-frontier cooperation between cities and regions.