Georgia’s Prime Minister meets PACE delegation

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has hosted a high level meeting with two Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) officials in Tbilisi today, and discussed the controversial Russia-breakaway Abkhazia alliance deal.

PACE is an international organisation within the Council of Europe dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. 

PACE co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee Boris Silevich and deputy head of the PACE monitoring department Bas Klain met the Georgian PM at the Government Administration today. Silevich said the Russia-Abkhaz ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ deal was "deplorable” and the issue had been discussed by the European Council.

After the meeting, Silevich said PACE was optimistic about Georgia and its future cooperation. 

"We are very grateful to the [Georgian] Prime Minister. The discussion was very open, very candid and constructive. We are quite optimistic regarding the progress of Georgia,” he said. 

The PM’s press office said Garibashvili told the PACE officials that the Georgian Government attached great importance to close cooperation with the institutions of the European Council and hoped this alliance will strengthen in the future.

Garibashvili also said the Government appreciated the role of PACE co-rapporteurs and it welcomed such monitoring that enabled the situation to be assessed objectively by an outside, independent body.