CoE Sec-Gen: Georgia’s CoE presidency 'is progressing well' [VIDEO]

Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Marija Pejcinovic Buric said at a news briefing with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in Strasbourg earlier today that Georgia’s presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers "is progressing well”.

I welcome all the works done by Georgia to promote and strengthen our values and standards and to raise awareness of the Council of Europe in the country but also in the South Caucasus area as a whole”, she stated.

In her remarks Buric noted that during the meeting with President Zurabishvili, they discussed recent political developments in Georgia as well. 

Watch the full news briefing of President Salome Zurabishvili and CoE Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric:

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Buric considers it positive that all political forces in Georgia “acknowledge the need to improve the electoral system in order to strengthen its proportionality”.

We hope that the political dialogue between parties will yield results”, she said adding that the CoE stands ready to assist Georgia as necessary.

Secretary General Buric also said that the CoE also closely follows the appointment of Supreme Court judges in Georgia. She then stressed the importance to implement the opinion developed by the CoE’s Venice Commission last year. 

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Reiterating the CoE’s commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, Buric said she will continue to keep all the member states informed of human rights developments in the Russian occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) through her consolidated reports.

The confident-building measures of the Council of Europe reach out to people on the ground and in the conflict-affected areas, and seek to contribute to broader reconciliation process”, Buric said noting that the CoE is set to continue with these measures.

Welcoming the release of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashili from Tskhinvali custody in late December, Marija Pejcinovic Buric underlined that the practice of detention of people crossing the administrative boundary line “should be stopped”. 

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Having become a member of the Council of Europe in April 1999, Georgia officially assumed the six-month presidency last November.