15:38, 30 November 2013

PACE imposed sanctions on Georgia

Sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will not be held in Georgia for two years, because the country had not allowed the Russian MP Vasily Likhachov, a member of the monitoring mission of the PACE, to observe the presidential election in the country.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in October the Russian MP Vasily Likhachov was not admitted to Georgia, because in 2009 he visited Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are regarded by Georgia to be its occupied territories.

Because of the situation with Vasily Likhachov, the Russian delegation to the PACE has decided to raise the issue of sanctions of the Council of Europe towards Tbilisi.

As a result, the Bureau of the PACE has decided to impose sanctions on Georgia for creating obstacles to visiting the country.

"The Bureau has ruled that the PACE and its committees will not hold their sessions in Georgia during the upcoming two years. The ruling may be revoked, if Georgian authorities ensure free travel of persons arriving under the auspices of the PACE," says the statement of the PACE as quoted today by the "Georgia-Online".