Georgian Parliament official: CoE Sec Gen Alain Berset seeking “civilised” solution to PACE dispute, but return conditional

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday said Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset was making every effort to resolve the issue surrounding Georgia’s participation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in a “civilised manner”, but reiterated that Georgia would not return until its delegation’s credentials were unconditionally recognised.

Samkharadze’s comments came after Berset said that Georgia’s absence from the Parliamentary Assembly had not improved the situation and that “isolation is not the solution”.

Samkharadze noted that Berset has been placed in a difficult position and does not want Georgia to become isolated.

“Alain Berset has been placed in a rather difficult situation. He does not want Georgia’s isolation. Accordingly, he is doing everything possible to ensure that the issue is resolved in a civilised manner. However, regarding the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, we have our own position”, he said.

He noted that Georgia’s position had been communicated both publicly and in private meetings.

“We have stated this publicly and behind closed doors. We are telling them exactly what I am telling you now - we will not return until the credentials of the Georgian delegation are unconditionally recognised. Recognition of those credentials must come through the repeal of the January 2025 resolution”, Samkharadze concluded.