Time in Tbilisi: March 28, 2024 15:23
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.
According to the CoE, the chair "acts in a neutral way and ensures that the rules and guidelines are respected”. It further “guides the discussions, puts proposals to the vote and announces decisions.”
We have set human rights and environmental protection; civil participation in decision-making; child-friendly justice and democracy through education, culture and youth engagement as the #CoE Georgian Presidency’s overriding priorities for the next 6 months. pic.twitter.com/VmD84PUxfa
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) November 26, 2019
Georgia has taken over the chairmanship from France.
In his address to the public earlier today Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that the chairmanship is a “big responsibility and a big challenge for Georgia, as our country will exercise its presidency in the international organisation for the first time.”
Zalkaliani said that Georgia has gone through and overcome many difficulties since gaining its independence back in 1991.
There are still many things to do in the country. However, today I can proudly say that Georgia is not only a country of ancient history and traditions, but also a successful and a modern state that gained its genuinely deserved place within the international community,” Zalkaliani said.
The Council of Europe is a leading organization for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, founded in 1949.
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.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani is in Germany now, meeting with top German officials, before leaving for France tomorrow where Georgia will take over the chairmanship of the Committee of Minister of the Council of Europe (CoE) between November 27, 2019 and May 15, 2020.
Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Marija Pejcinovic Buric, who has come to Georgia to make things ready for Georgia’s chairmanship of the CoE Committee of Ministers starting November 27, has stated that she is sure Georgia will cope with the “big responsibility very successfully.” Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated after his meeting with Buric that the 6-month chairmanship is both a “huge responsibility and an opportunity for Georgia.
"Beautiful performance of 'What A Wonderful World' by the Georgian six and Guram Kurashvili Choral at the start of our World Forum for Democracy", the Council of Europe wrote on their official Facebook page on Wednesday.
A tram with the Georgian alphabet on its windows has been launched in Strasbourg, France, earlier today, on the day Georgia took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE).
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has received symbolic keys marking the official assumption of the presidency of the Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the country’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) is both a big responsibility and a big opportunity.“Now we have the opportunity to take part in making an agenda and raise issues with our European colleagues we believe are crucial for our country,” Gakharia said.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, who took up the Chair of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, met with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Liliane Maury Pasquier earlier today.
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.
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 ruling Georgian Dream party chairman and leader Bidzina Ivanishvili has joined in today’s celebration of the country’s assumption of the presidency of the Council of Europe) Committee of Ministers.
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.
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.
Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov, whose taking the seat of the Georgian parliamentary speaker in June 2019 sparked large protests in the Georgian capital, has called Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili’s recent statement ‘a serious signal’ for improvements in Russia-Georgia relations.
Georgia as the Council of Europe (CoE) chair country has called for the renewal of the organization’s laws on human rights and environmental protection to make sanctions and obligations clearer and stronger against environmental and organised crimes.
Georgian Foreign Minister and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe David Zalkaliani has paid tribute to all journalists ‘who are on the frontline and continue reporting during the ongoing crisis’ ahead of Press Freedom Day which will be marked on May 3.
Georgia has become the 41st member state of the Pompidou Group, which is dedicated to combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
Today Georgia has ended its six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, a historic position Georgia took on November 27, 2019.
The Council of Europe (CoE) has donated protective materials to Georgia and four member states — Armenia, Moldova, Montenegro and North Macedonia — in response to the emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic and to the need to provide urgent support to prisoners and prison staff.
Seven Georgian public schools have joined the Council of Europe Democratic Schools Network, reports the Ministry of Education, Science Culture, and Sports.
Albania has handed over the six-month rotating chairmanship of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) group to Georgia, effective today. The Georgian Chairmanship-in-Office got underway during the 43rd Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the organisation held online on June 30, 2021.