Georgia will become a president country of the Council of Europe in November of 2019 – Tamar Chugoshvili, Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament said.

Georgia has been a full-fledged member of CoE for 20 years. “This is an important date and a rare case when Georgia will chair the organization. The CoE has 48 member countries and the chairmanship is granted in rotation principle. . . . We expect a more active year because the country will have a chance to become the president country of such a big international organization. This chance should be used for the interests of our country,” Chugoshvili said.

Georgian lawmakers claim that the Georgian side will enhance work in direction of occupied territories during Georgia’s presidency of CoE. “The number one problem for Georgia is territorial integrity and protection of human rights of our citizens residing on the occupied territories. But our priority will not be only negative issues. We want Europe to become introduced with the reforms and achievements of the country to gain support from European Countries,” Chugoshvili said.

According to Chugoshvili, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze will visit Strasbourg on April 10. PM is scheduled to hold bilateral, high-ranking meetings and debates in the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE).