Lilianne Mori Pasquier, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in an interview with the Georgian media, said of the “alarming facts coming in” related to the situation “in the occupied territories of Georgia”. The head of PACE sees the solution to this “problem” in the need to strengthen relations between people, in “dialogue between nations.” At the same time, Ms. Pasquier stressed that Strasbourg does not intend to put up with the "occupation of the regions of Georgia."
This statement of the head of the PACE clearly demonstrates the biased and politicized approach of the European structures to the independent Republic of Abkhazia. With regret, we have to state the marginalization of such a once authoritative institution in upholding and protecting human rights and freedoms, an obvious opportunism in its statements and actions. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is increasingly turning from an organ for the promotion of the values of democracy into an instrument of pressure on undesirable countries.
Double standards are clearly manifested in the rhetoric of the leaders of this organization, which was reflected in the statement of Ms. Pasquier. The right to independence and sovereignty, recognized in 2008 by the Russian Federation and other UN member states, implemented by the people of Abkhazia, is completely ignored by the Council of Europe. At the suggestion of Georgia to the PACE, they prefer to juggle with an absurd thesis “on the occupied territories”. At the same time, to hear the point of view of the Abkhaz side on the political aspect of the issue, of course, is not considered possible in the Council of Europe.
The humanitarian component is also understood exclusively one-sidedly. Declaring some “alarming facts from the occupied territories”, European parliamentarians prefer not to notice the numerous facts of violation of the rights of the people of Abkhazia by the Georgian authorities. It is worth noting that numerous attempts by the Abkhaz side to resolve the issue of the free movement of their citizens on national passports still remain without any response. Turning a blind eye to this important humanitarian aspect, the European partners of Georgia continue to support blindly the destructive course towards the international isolation of Abkhazia.
We urge the leaders of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to refrain from opportunistic and unfounded statements and to show a balanced approach in assessing of the situation in the Republic of Abkhazia.
This statement of the head of the PACE clearly demonstrates the biased and politicized approach of the European structures to the independent Republic of Abkhazia. With regret, we have to state the marginalization of such a once authoritative institution in upholding and protecting human rights and freedoms, an obvious opportunism in its statements and actions. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is increasingly turning from an organ for the promotion of the values of democracy into an instrument of pressure on undesirable countries.
Double standards are clearly manifested in the rhetoric of the leaders of this organization, which was reflected in the statement of Ms. Pasquier. The right to independence and sovereignty, recognized in 2008 by the Russian Federation and other UN member states, implemented by the people of Abkhazia, is completely ignored by the Council of Europe. At the suggestion of Georgia to the PACE, they prefer to juggle with an absurd thesis “on the occupied territories”. At the same time, to hear the point of view of the Abkhaz side on the political aspect of the issue, of course, is not considered possible in the Council of Europe.
The humanitarian component is also understood exclusively one-sidedly. Declaring some “alarming facts from the occupied territories”, European parliamentarians prefer not to notice the numerous facts of violation of the rights of the people of Abkhazia by the Georgian authorities. It is worth noting that numerous attempts by the Abkhaz side to resolve the issue of the free movement of their citizens on national passports still remain without any response. Turning a blind eye to this important humanitarian aspect, the European partners of Georgia continue to support blindly the destructive course towards the international isolation of Abkhazia.
We urge the leaders of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to refrain from opportunistic and unfounded statements and to show a balanced approach in assessing of the situation in the Republic of Abkhazia.