PACE resolution welcomes Georgia’s progress in honouring commitments
The resolution also encouraged the Georgian authorities to address the European Union recommendations outlined last year so that “it can be given the candidate status for European Union membership that it rightfully aspires to”. Photo: Council of Europe
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A resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Friday welcomed the progress made by Georgia in honouring its obligations and commitments taken up as part of its membership in the body.
While the document acknowledged the progress made in the process, it also encouraged all political forces in the country to address the remaining recommendations and concerns and expressed concern about the “extreme” political polarisation in the country.
It said the polarisation affected “stakeholder participation in the reforms needed for further democratic consolidation and Euro-Atlantic integration of the country”.
The Assembly urged the Georgian authorities to implement a “thorough, independent evaluation of its reforms of the judiciary” with a view to guiding future reforms to ensure a genuine independent judiciary in the country.
The document also reiterated its “full support” for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and its concern and condemnation of the “illegal occupation and creeping annexation” by Russia of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The resolution also encouraged the Georgian authorities to address the European Union recommendations outlined last year so that “it can be given the candidate status for European Union membership that it rightfully aspires to”.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and Jonathan Djanogly, the Chair of the United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on Georgia on Thursday discussed the “strong” inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries and the support of the British Parliament demonstrated to Georgia.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday called the United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan’s statement on former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s clandestine return to Georgia - “unfortunate”. The rule of law is a “supreme principle” and it should be effective in the USA as well as in Georgia, he said.
Strategic partnership between Georgia and the United Kingdom and “intensive” bilateral and multilateral cooperation involving the sides were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili and his British counterpart James Cleverly.
President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Liliane Maury Pasquier believes that Georgia has achieved exciting progress on its path to the EU.
Archil Talakvadze, the Georgian Parliament’s Vice Speaker, on Friday said the “fruitful” cooperation between the country’s authorities and the Council of Europe served as “additional motivation” for a further consolidation of democracy, strengthening of the rule of law and protection of human rights in the country.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday highlighted the latest resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe by saying “everyone [except] a part of our opposition” could see the progress mentioned in the document.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Sunday said the Georgian Government was pursuing a “pragmatic policy” designed to “avoid escalation and promote peace” in the wider region, in comments after accepting the Sabino Arana Prize in Spain for the development of Georgian-Basque ties and promotion of democracy and human rights.
A Georgian delegation participated in the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union for the first time this week.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Head of the European Integration Committee in the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said Russia’s policy in Ukraine was a continuation of the one used in Georgia, stressing this should not be forgotten in order to “cope with” the aggression threatening European security, the Parliament press office said.