Alain Berset: We will continue dialogue and cooperation with Georgia

“I have always been ready for dialogue with all Council of Europe member states, as you know, including Georgia, of course. We have also been in contact recently. It is important to have transparent and frank discussions, although, as you can imagine, these do not always take place publicly,” Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset told journalists in Dublin ahead of the European Political Community summit.

According to him, membership in the Council of Europe entails a commitment to upholding certain values.

“I am closely following developments. I know that there is currently a discussion concerning the examination of a certain issue at the Constitutional Court. We are monitoring this process and, as always, will remind everyone that membership in the Council of Europe also means a commitment to upholding certain values. All 46 Council of Europe member states have undertaken to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights and recognize the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. We have a framework within which we can develop relations and cooperation. I firmly believe that these principles must be constantly reaffirmed and that we must continue dialogue and joint discussions. We will certainly continue this dialogue and cooperation, including with Georgia,” Alain Berset stated.