MPs from Ruling Party Criticize Foreign Minister

MPs from the parliamentary majority criticized Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili at the parliamentary session on October 12 because, as they put it, the Ministry failed to submit a Framework Convention on National Minorities to the Parliament in due time for ratification.

The Convention on National Minorities was submitted to the Parliament for ratification several years ago under the signature of then-President Eduard Shevardnadze. The MPs expressed protest over the fact that the Foreign Ministry failed to provide for the submission of the same document initialed by the current President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Georgia was required to ratify the Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages by September 1, 2005. Ratification of these conventions was part of a commitment undertaken by Georgia while joining the Council of Europe in 1999. Georgia has also undertaken to ratify this convention under the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with NATO.

?I think this issue [the Foreign Ministry?s performance] will be discussed during a meeting between the President and the parliamentary majority,? Vice-Speaker Mikheil Machavariani said on October 12.

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