The Georgian delegation has not attended the opening of the Autumn Session of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) in protest and solidarity with Ukraine.

As the Vice Speaker of the Parliament Tamar Chugoshvili told the Georgian First Channel the protest is related to the decision made by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regarding Russia’s return to PACE.

“We are not going to leave the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This is not considered by any country. The Georgian delegation decided not to participate in any ceremonial events and the opening session of Parliamentary Assembly to express protest over the Russian Federation’s return and to show solidarity with Ukraine. We have coordination with other countries, for which the decision related to Russia is unacceptable”, – Chugoshvili said.

Members of delegations of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine have not attended the opening session as well.

The delegation of Ukraine to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has officially refused to participate in the PACE’s autumn session over the Russian Federation’s return.

In her address at the opening, PACE President Liliane Maury Pasquier spoke about the decision of Ukrainian delegation.

“Dialogue and co-operation with the Ukrainian delegation are particularly important to me and all of us, because, as a member state of our Organisation, Ukraine should be entitled to our full support; Ukraine can rely on our unequivocal commitment to international law and our shared standards.

In this context, I regret that the Ukrainian Parliament did not transmit the credentials of its new delegation in time for the opening of this part session.  I hope that this will be done shortly, within the deadline foreseen in our Rules. It is my intention to engage as soon as possible in a dialogue with the new Ukrainian delegation and the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, a dialogue which will allow us to ensure that the stands and legitimate concerns of the Ukrainian delegation are fully taken into account”, – said Pasquier.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted for the resolution to make it possible for Russia to return to the chamber on June 25, 2019, following debate during PACE’s opening summer session in Strasbourg. A total of 118 parliamentarians agreed to welcome Russia back into PACE, 62 members voted against and 10 – abstained.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe deprived the Russian delegation of its voting rights in the body over the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in March 2014.