NGOs, opposition criticize president for statement on possible visit of Russian delegation

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.

• Opposition says Russian FM Lavrov mustn’t be allowed into Georgia during CoE ministerial

Zurabishvili said that “making the decision [when Lavrov for instance violated the Georgian Law on the Occupied Territories] is not easy. However, we chair the CoE Committee of Ministers and we respect all our international obligations.”

• Making history: Georgia takes up chairmanship of CoE

The opposition has called the statement “alarming and shameful,” while the NGO stated that the statement “undermined the rule of law and fundamental principles of democracy.”

Former president of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has stated that though preventing the Russian delegation entering Georgia ‘will make us feel proud [...] the step may damage our international image.”

Margvelashvili said that Georgia hosts the event as a CoE chair country and not as an individual state.

Vice Parliament Speaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party Giorgi Volski says that the “issue will be discussed with our international partners, as it on the one hand concerns the Georgian law and on the other hand our international obligation [as a CoE chair country].”