Georgian FM disappointed Tbilisi will miss chance to host delegates of 47 states at CoE ministerial
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated that the Georgian government acted in line with the state interests in terms of CoE ministerial. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated that as the head of the CoE Council of Ministers he is ‘disappointed’ Georgia missed an ‘unique opportunity’ to host delegates from 47 member states of the Council of Europe in May later this year.
He said that the decision for the CoE ministerial to be held in Strasbourg instead of Tbilisi has been made ‘because of state interests,’ to avoid any possible tension in the country caused by the visit of the Russian delegation during the international occasion.
I want to say that we, as the CoE chair country, have acted in line with the regulations of the organisation, our laws and state interests as no one should have been given an opportunity to spark tension, escalation in the country with the use of the event for various political interests,” Zalkaliani said.
Georgia should have hosted the CoE ministerial as the CoE chair country. Photo: cvce.eu.
He stated that Georgia faces serious challenges and tension in the country is “absolutely unacceptable.”
I am sure that the public will understand why we have made the decision [and changed the location for the event].. However, I, as the head of the CoE Committee of Ministers, am very disappointed we missed the opportunity to host the ministerial,” Zalkaliani said.
If the ministerial were held in Tbilisi Georgia might have to host the delegates from Russia who had violated the Georgian law on the occupied territories - visited Georgia’s two Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali without any consent from Tbilisi.
The opposition warned that the arrival of the Russian delegation would spark rallies in Tbilisi, similar to those in the summer of 2019.
Strasbourg will host the Council of Europe ministerial in May this year instead of Tbilisi, which Georgia was meant to have hosted as the CoE chair country, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani confirmed earlier today. The location was changed due to the possible visit of Russian delegates to Tbilisi for the ministerial who have violated the Georgian law on the occupied territories.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called Georgian journalists in Geneva ‘sick’ who were trying to receive an answer from Lavrov as to whether he will come to the CoE ministerial in Tbilisi in May later this year.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has stated during his speech in parliament today that a fair court is the basis of state development and “Georgia is on the right path” in this regard. However, the opposition played the anthem of the Soviet Union during the speech, stating that the situation in the country is ‘alarming in many fields.’
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova says that the visits of foreign officials must not be a problem for any sovereign state, responding to the recent turmoil over the CoE ministerial scheduled in Tbilisi for May.