Georgia sets conditions for PACE return, demands full recognition of delegation mandates

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday said Georgia will not return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) unless the Assembly unconditionally recognises the mandates of the Georgian delegation.

In his remarks, Samkharadze noted that the draft resolution currently under discussion in the Council of Europe largely repeats earlier positions that had already been voiced regarding Georgia months ago, without reflecting recent developments in the country.

“The initial version of the resolution is practically no different from the previous ones. It does not reflect at all the developments that have taken place in Georgia over the past 12 months. Therefore, it is clear that the authors of this resolution, as well as those who vote for it, have no desire whatsoever to cooperate or engage in dialogue with the Georgian authorities”, he said.

Samkharadze argued that calls for Georgia’s return to PACE no longer had any justification, as the Assembly continued to reaffirm positions contained in its earlier resolutions.

“We will make decisions based on the interests of our country and our delegation. That decision, of course, will be that we will not return to PACE until our delegation’s credentials are fully and unconditionally recognised by PACE”, Samkharadze concluded.