NATO Sec-Gen: ECHR verdict confirms Russia is responsible for human rights violations in Abkhazia, Tskhinvali
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has met with Georgian President Salome Zurabiashvili in Brussels earlier today. Photo: NATO.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has met with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili in Brussels earlier today where he said that the recent judgement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war case ‘confirms that Russia is responsible for human rights violations in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) regions, and that Russia actually exercises control there’.
It (the judgement) only strengthens our call for Russia to comply with international law and respect Georgia’s territorial integrity,” Stoltenberg stated at a press conference with Zurabishvili.
Stoltenberg said that ‘Georgia is one of NATO’s most important partners and we have a close political partnership and strong practical cooperation.’
He said that there is a room to further strengthen NATO-Georgia cooperation.
Good to meet President @Zourabichvili_S. #Georgia is an important partner & I look forward to further strengthening our partnership. #NATO fully supports Georgia’s reforms, sovereignty & territorial integrity. pic.twitter.com/HyBa7yQQUy
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 22, 2021
We strengthened NATO-Georgia Substantial Package last year, so we can also further strengthen our practical cooperation.We have the NATO liaison office in Tbilisi, we have the joint training, and emulation centre, and with the enhanced package, we are focusing on different things but, including the implementation of secure communications projects, continued support to the joint training, and emulation centre and more NATO-Georgia exercises in 2022,” Stoltenberg said.
He stated that NATO and Georgia are expected to further strengthen cooperation in the maritime field.
Stoltenberg said Georgia should continue its reforms to become the member of the alliance.
We need strong democratic institutions. We need to make sure that we have more than, and capable security institutions. And of course, civilian control over both the military and the intelligence services. On all these issues we're working together, and reform is the key effort, the key task for Georgia, as you move towards NATO membership,” Stoltenberg said.
Stoltenberg also praised Georgia’s commitment to international peace and security.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is on a two-day visit to Brussels, has met with EU officials earlier today. Tomorrow the Georgian President will meet with the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has responded to Georgia’s recent victory in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will meet with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvil in Brussels on January 22, the NATO press office has reported. Previously Stoltenberg and Zurabishvili met in January 2019. Stoltenberg met with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia also at NATO headquarters back in September 2020.
The Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) has been updated following the NATO foreign ministerial yesterday, and NATO experts have called for strengthening partnership with ‘valued partners - Georgia and Ukraine’, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani stated earlier today.
The Baltic states are united in advocating stronger support for aspiring partners Georgia and Ukraine during the NATO June 14 summit, Lithuanian President Ginatas Nauseda has tweeted. Georgia and Ukraine will not attend the one-day summit in Brussels because only the member states will participate in it. Georgian parliamentary parties signed a joint statement yesterday, ahead of the summit, in which they urged NATO and its member states to continue close partnership with Georgia.
US Senator Rob Portman, who has recently visited Georgia, stated that the US government should urge NATO ahead of the June 14 summit to provide a membership action plan (MAP) for Georgia and Ukraine.In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Portman said that getting both countries on the path to NATO membership would help protect them against Russian aggression.
Russian human rights lawyer Ivan Pavlov has entered Georgia after the Russian government has launched a case against him for the disclosure of information in one of his clients’ cases, Radio Liberty Georgian service reports. Pavlov posted on his Telegram page earlier today that he left Russia due to bans that were imposed on him in connection with the criminal case which ‘made it impossible for him to work.’
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is concerned over grave human rights violations and ethnic discrimination against Georgians in the country’s occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), the resolution adopted on October 11 says. The document also stresses the ‘necessity of the implementation of the EU-mediated ceasefire agreement’ by the Russian Federation and underscores the right of internally displaced people (IDP) and refugees ‘to return to their homes.’