Georgian ex-Parliament Speaker Kobakhidze elected PACE VP

Former Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, who resigned during the June protests in Tbilisi last year, has been elected vice president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) earlier today, during the first day of the winter session.

• Who is Irakli Kobakhidze? 

Kobakhidze chairs the Georgian delegation to PACE.

President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani [who also chairs the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe], are scheduled to address PACE in the coming hours.

• Making history: Georgia takes up chairmanship of CoE

Georgian FM Zalkaliani will adress PACE later today. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office. 

Zalkaliani will give his first speech later today as the CoE chairman.

Zalkaliani stated that in his address he will speak about the activities carried out  by CoE under Georgia’s chairmanship, the priorities for Georgia in the role and he will also mention the occupation issue.

I will speak about the occupation with the extent the president of CoE is allowed to speak on national issues,” Zalkaliani said.

He stated that Zurabishvili will address CoE tomorrow.