THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF GEORGIA MEETS WITH THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, who is on her visit in Georgia.

The Minister thanked the Secretary General for keeping the issue of Georgia high on the agenda of the Council of Europe.

"In the process of peaceful resolution of the Russia-Georgia conflict, the support of the Council of Europe for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia cannot be overestimated," Ilia Darchiashvili said at the press conference following his meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

According to Ilia Darchiashvili, during the meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the sides emphasized the importance of the instruments and mechanisms, which the Council of Europe applies to achieve peaceful resolution of the conflict in Georgia and confidence building between the communities split apart by the conflict. Special attention was focused on the Secretary General’s consolidated reports on "Conflict in Georgia", which are adopted twice a year and describe in detail the situation in the occupied regions of Georgia. The Minister of Foreign Affairs highly appraised the Secretary General's annual reports, and also stressed the importance of keeping the occupation of Georgian territories atop the agenda of the Council of Europe.

At the meeting, the sides discussed the successfully implemented projects within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023. It was noted that these projects contribute to strengthening the CoE values: human rights, rule of law and democracy in the country. Ilia Darchiashvili thanked Marija Burić for her firm support of Georgia in the process of democratic reforms and expressed the readiness for future cooperation.

On 30 June 2023, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Maria Peičinović Burić, paid a visit to Georgia. Within the framework of the visit, the Secretary General held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili, after which the sides made joint statements for the press.