Georgian FM Visits Strasburg

STRASBURG – Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze went on a diplomatic visit to Strasburg, where he met Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni.

“We have a specific plan of co-operation, namely a co-operation programme with Georgia for a number of years whereby we help Georgia to reinforce its democratic institutions and we work together in the field of judiciary but also in other areas, which are very important for the democratic life in the country,” Battaini-Dragoni said. 

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reports that Battaini-Dragoni said the Council of Europe highly appreciates the strong respect the Georgian authorities show to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as  the efforts  the Georgian government is taking to democratize the country.

On Monday, Janelidze met the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Guido Raimondi. One of the key issues of this meeting were the human rights protections, rule of law improvements, and judicial system reforms recently implemented in Georgia. Raimondi thanked Janelidze for Georgia’s active cooperation with the ECHR.

Janelidze also met Isil Gachet, Director of the Office of Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. They discussed various possibilities for the future of the relationship between Georgia and the Council of Europe, paying special attention to successful co-operation in the area of human rights protection. Discussions also focused on the difficult human rights situation in Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali).

“The Minister briefed the CoE representatives on the closure of the checkpoints along the occupation line in Abkhazia and on the referendum to be held in the Tskhinvali region on April 9. It was emphasized during the meeting that such steps grossly violate the fundamental rights of the local population and are intended to create the complete isolation of the occupied territories,” Georgia’s MFA reports.

By Thea Morrison