17/05/2013 Monitoring
Strasbourg, 17.05.2013 – A delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)* looking into the consequences of the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia has deeply regretted that the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali and Sukhumi refused to receive the delegation. The delegation has just returned from a visit to Moscow and Tbilisi (12-15 May 2013).
“The readiness of the delegation to go to Sukhumi and Tskhinvali was a clear sign that the Assembly is willing to listen to all those concerned by the conflict. The refusal by the de facto authorities to meet with it has shown that a similar willingness does not currently exist in Sukhumi and Tskhinvali,” said the Chairperson of PACE’s Monitoring Committee Andres Herkel (Esonia, EPP/CD), who was leading the delegation. “The delegation would be willing to visit Sukhumi and Tskhinvali if a clear signal was sent by the de facto authorities that they would welcome a dialogue.”
In Moscow (13 May) and Tbilisi (15 May) the delegation discussed the security situation, the humanitarian situation, access to the breakaway regions as well as the investigations into alleged violations of humanitarian law, including war crimes, by both sides during the war.
The delegation will present an information note to the Monitoring Committee based on the findings of its visit.
***
* The delegation consisted of the Chairperson of the Monitoring Committee Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD); the monitoring co-rapporteurs for Georgia, Michael Aastrup Jensen (Denmark, ALDE) and Boriss Cilevics (Latvia, SOC); and the monitoring co-rapporteurs for Russia, Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC) and Theodora Bakoyannis (Greece, EPP/CD).