Georgia among delegates challenging Russia’s rights at PACE, Russia threatens to leave
Tweet 
Share
Georgia joined Lithuanian and Latvian delegates at PACE yesterday who have challenged Russia’s regaining of its voting right last year which it lost for the annexation of Crimea back in 2014.
During the first winter session of PACE on January 27 delegates Emanuelis Zingeris of Lithuania and Maria Golubeva of Latvia, came out against the confirmation of the authorities of the Russian delegation ‘due to substantial grounds’ - for ignoring its international commitments by Russia, including its illegal occupation of Georgian and Ukrainian territories.
Over 30 lawmakers supported the move, which means that the issue will be considered on merits soon.
The decision on the appeal or confirmation of the Russian authorities should be made during the first two days of the session.
Russia, which agreed to pay €75 million before regaining the voting right, has threatened to leave PACE.
We expect that the assembly’s constructively-minded majority will do its best to prevent any recurrence of the crisis in relations between Moscow and Strasbourg and will fully ratify the Russian delegation’s rights. We are ready to work solely on an equal basis and won’t accept any secondary sanctions," TASS has cited Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house, as saying.
He said that the Russian delegation’s rights have been challenged by “Russophobic delegations to PACE.”
“We are trying to make Georgia a regional hub for international business, tourism, logistics and education,” Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze said at a Q&A session in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
The CoE Committee of Ministers has urged Russia for the second time to pay €10 million compensation to Georgia for illegal deportation of Georgians from Russia back in 2006, and with the step abide by the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered against Russia on January 31, 2019. Russia had the obligation to pay the compensation before the end of April 2019, but refused to do so.
The Georgian delegation has refused to attend the opening ceremony of the PACE autumn session to “express solidarity to Ukraine” and to once again protest upon Russia’s regaining its voting right in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe back in June.
Members of the Georgian delegation and six other countries left a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) yesterday in protest as Russia regained its voting right after having lost it in 2014 following its annexation of the Crimea.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that the next stage for Georgia is to become a full member of the international community by having a voice in global issues. She stated earlier today in Strasbourg that “Georgia has succeeded to turn itself from a post-soviet state, into an emerging, ever stronger and vibrant democracy.” She stated earlier today in Strasbourg that “Georgia has succeeded to turn itself from a post-soviet state, into an emerging, ever stronger and vibrant democracy.”
Russia has had its voting right confirmed in PACE despite Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia challenging it earlier this week, once again protesting Russia’s regaining the right seven months ago which it lost for annexation of Crimea back in 2014.
The recently adopted resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which covers the period between January and December of 2019, has welcomed amendments which ‘reinforce parliamentary oversight in Georgia and political accountability of the executive.’PACE also welcomed “a broad agreement with all stakeholders’ about the adopted fourth wave of judicial reforms ‘with the aim of further strengthening the independence of the judiciary and efficiency of the administration of justice.’