Council of Europe adopts decision reaffirming support for Georgia's sovereignty, territorial integrity amid Russian occupation

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe within the framework of the agenda item “the Council of Europe and the Conflict in Georgia” on Wednesday adopted its twelfth decision on the matter.

Through this decision, the Council of Europe and its 46 member states once again reaffirmed their unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

The decision highlighted that the Russian Federation continues to violate international obligations, including the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement, and maintains an illegal military presence in Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.

In their decision, the Committee of Ministers' member states reaffirmed their endorsement of the historic Reykjavík Summit Declaration of 2023, in which the leaders of the Council of Europe member states called on Russia to comply with its international obligations and to immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its forces from Georgian territory.

The member states also welcomed the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, which establish the Russian Federation’s responsibility for grave human rights violations committed during the occupation of Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.

These decisions confirm Russia’s effective control over occupied Abkhazia, even prior to the August 2008 war. The document further welcomes the Court’s latest judgment of 17 December 2024, which once again recognized Russia’s responsibility for human rights violations, including violations of property rights.

The Committee of Ministers called on the Russian Federation to implement the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and to ensure immediate and unimpeded access for Council of Europe human rights protection and monitoring mechanisms to the territories beyond the control of the Government of Georgia.

It is worth noting that the adoption of such decisions by the Committee of Ministers has taken place regularly since 2014. Through this process, the Council of Europe has clearly emphasized the prioritization of the issue of the occupation of Georgia’s regions by the Russian Federation within its political agenda.

The decision represents a significant legal and political document reflecting the unified and firm stance of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states.