France, Strasbourg, Jan.25 / Trend A.Maherramli /
Georgia appreciates having the chance to speak on the edge of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), an organisation founded to protect European values, human rights and all that Georgia is struggling and sought for over the years trying to return to the European family, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze told Trend in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
"We will focus primarily in our address on reforms which are being successfully implemented in Georgia, although we understand we are still far from putting set tasks into place," Mr Vashadze said.
He noted that his address will also touch upon the situation of human rights in Georgia's occupied territories and those reforms which are being implemented now in the Council of Europe under the aegis of the Secretary General of PACE and which Georgia supports.
Military actions were launched in the Georgian territory of South Ossetia on Aug.8 in 2008. Later Russian troops occupied the city of Tskhinvali and drove the Georgian military back. Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in late August. In response, Tbilisi broke off diplomatic relations with Moscow and announced two unrecognised republics as the occupied territories.
"We will express our views on how to make this authoritative organisation more efficient to enable the Council of Europe to deal with pressing issues worrying the European public, including Georgia and Azerbaijan," Mr Vashadze said.
He cited plans to meet with the Secretary General and other officials of the Council of Europe.