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CoE Committee of Ministers Chair Zalkaliani on Crimea Annexation

FM Davit Zalkaliani. Photo: coe.int

On February 26, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani reaffirmed his “unequivocal support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders” in his capacity as the Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE).

“This year marks the 6th anniversary of the illegal annexation of the autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and the beginning of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine,” Zalkaliani said, noting that the CoE “remains concerned by reports on the deteriorating human rights situation in Crimea, in particular as far as minorities are concerned.”

Wishing that this conflict could come to an end, the Georgian Foriegn Minister spoke of importance “to fully implement the Minsk agreements and to fulfil the international obligations undertaken.” “There have already been some encouraging steps, such as the new dynamics within the Normandy format and the exchange of prisoners last year,” Zalkaliani stated.

Georgia, which became the 41st member of CoE on April 27, 1999, officially took over the presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers from France last November until May 15, 2020. The Chair of the Committee of Ministers is held for a term of six-month in turn by the representatives of the members in English alphabetical order.

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