Georgian-Ossetian military conflict to be mulled at PACE session

PACE members plan to consider the humanitarian consequences of the Georgian-Ossetian military conflict of 2008 at the winter session in late January 2013.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is expected to deliver speech at the session, the CE information center in Georgia told Trend on Tuesday.

According to the information, parliamentarians gathered to listen to Tina Aketoft's report on Russia and Georgia for a long time, but the report was submitted at this session due to technical issues, particularly those related to the extension of its mandate.

The document will be submitted to PACE on January 23. First MPs will listen to the report, and then adopt the final resolution.

Observers stressed that Russia's theme does not disappear from PACE agenda. Parliamentarians considered a large survey on the obligations of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe at the last October session. Besides the relations between Russia and Georgia, parliamentarians will consider the current situation in Kosovo.

According to the information, Saakashvili is planned to deliver speech among the parliamentarians, and then answer their questions.

Last time Saakashvili, who was a member of the Georgian delegation to the PACE, spoke at the meeting as the president in 2004.

Military action was launched in the Georgian region of South Ossetia on Aug.8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied the city of Tskhinvali and drove the Georgian military back. Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in late August of that year.


/Trend/