History of Bilateral Relations

On 4 March 1993, the Parliament of Georgia requested the status of a special guest at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The status was granted on 28 May, 1996.

In 1996-1999, Georgia participated as the observer state in the organizational committees of the Council of Europe's intergovernmental cooperation and assistance programs. The cooperation covered the areas such as justice, crime problems, human rights, and the media.

On 14 July 1996, Georgia applied for the membership of the Council of Europe.

In June 1997, the delegation of prominent lawyers visited Georgia to examine the extent to which the Georgian legal system conformed to the principles of pluralistic democracy, human rights, and the core principals of a legal state.

In September 1997, the Permanent Representation of Georgia to the Council of Europe was opened in Strasbourg.

On 27 November 1998, a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was held in Budapest, which discussed the report related to Georgia's application for membership of the Council of Europe.

On 27 January 1999, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, based on the Resolution 209, recommended to the Committee of Ministers to invite Georgia to become a full member of the Council of Europe.

At its 665th meeting, held on 23-24 March 1999, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe recognized the irreversible nature of the democratic reforms underway in Georgia and decided to invite Georgia to become the 41st member of the Council of Europe.

Georgia joined the Council of Europe on 27 April 1999, after the ratification of the Statute of the Council of Europe and signing the European Convention on Human Rights.

To date, Georgia has signed and ratified 69 conventions, and 15 signed, but not ratified.