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PACE may hold urgent debates over situation in Georgia

The initiative to discuss the current deterioration of the situation in Georgia came from the European People’s Party

MOSCOW, June 21 (Itar-Tass) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) may hold urgent debates on the situation in Georgia, chairman of the international committee of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house Alexei Pushkov, who leads the Russian delegation to the PACE, said on Friday.

According to Pushkov, the initiative to discuss the current deterioration of the situation in Georgia came from the European People’s Party, and the PACE bureau will take a final decision on that matter on June 24, when the PACE session opens.

The Russian delegation however does not support the initiative, Pushkov noted. “According to European lawmakers, the deterioration of the situation stems from the arrests of the former top officials of the [Mikhail] Saakashvili regime, who are accused of corruption and infringement on human rights. When they were at power, our European colleagues pretended that Georgia was a democratic state. When it turns out that the situation used to be absolutely different, they call the present situation a “witch hunt.” We do not share this position,” he stressed.

“Georgia has the right to decide which formats to choose in the fight against violations that took place during Mikhail Saakashvili’s presidency,” he said.

The session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will be held in Strasbourg from June 24 through June 28.