PACE co-rapporteurs: De facto Tskhinvali-Moscow deal is “creeping annexation”
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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is condemning the integration deal between occupied Tskhinvali and Moscow, and believes the deal promotes "creeping annexation” of Georgian territory.
PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Georgia Michael Aastrup Jensen (Denmark) and Boriss Cilevics (Latvia) today condemned the signing of the "Alliance and Integration” treaty between the Russian Federation and Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia).
"As was the case for a similar treaty between Russia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia, this agreement violates international law and is another example of the creeping annexation of the Georgian region of South Ossetia by the Russian Federation. Instead of building bridges between people, it increases divisions. This can only be condemned,” said the PACE officials.
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and de facto leader of Georgia’s Tskhinvali region Leonid Tibilov signed the so-called treaty in Moscow on March 18.
The agreement envisaged the forming of a unified region of defence and security, freedom of movement between the Russian Federation and Georgia’s breakaway region, and the integration of the customs bodies and social issues.
This came after November 2014’s signing of a similar agreement between Russia and Abkhazia, Georgia’s other breakaway region.
The global community has openly stated they do not recognise the so-called treaties and blamed Russia for violating international law.
Russia continues to occupy the two Georgian regions, which make up 20 percent of the country’s whole territory.
Meanwhile PACE is an international organisation within the Council of Europe dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
This morning the pair will meet the Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II. A meeting with the Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili is scheduled for later today. The PACE co-rapporteurs will summarize their two-day visit in Georgia at a news conference at 7pm tonight.
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) co-rapporteurs Michael Jensen and Boris Silevich are concerned about several issues after meeting with Government officials.
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.
A handful of European countries have openly stated they do not recognise the so-called "Treaty on Alliance and Integration” between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and the Russian Federation.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and de facto leader of Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) Leonid Tibilov signed a so-called "Treaty on Alliance and Integration” in Moscow today.
"The hysterics that occurred in the West and in Tbilisi following signing the treaty on alliance and integration between Russia and Tskhinvali region - is an attempt to bring the situation in the region back to the situation of August 2008.”
The Council of Europe (CoE) has called on Russia to facilitate and grant unrestricted access to the CoE bodies to the areas affected by the conflict in Georgia, in a document adopted yesterday.
Two officials from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) are in Georgia on a fact-finding mission to the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili and Foreign Minister David Zalklaiani have met separately with co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE), who are visiting Georgia on December 8-10.