Conflict with CoE Softened

Visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili said after the meeting with Council of Europe (CoE) Secretary General Walter Schwimmer in Strasbourg that the issue of expelling CoE?s envoy to Georgia Plamen Nikolov was not discussed during the talks.
 
President Mikheil Saakashvili has slammed the CoE for its May 2 statement which put a blame for escalation of situation in Adjara both on Tbilisi and Batumi.

As Aslan Abashidze fled Georgia, official Tbilisi indicated that it wants Plamen Nikolov, special representative of the CoE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, out of Georgia.

?I explained Mr. Schwimmer why Georgia had such a harsh reaction on the CoE?s statement. The Georgian people wanted to hear more negative assessment of the Abashidze?s [ex-Adjarian leader] regime,? Salome Zurabishvili, Georgian Foreign Minister told reporters.

Georgian daily 24 Hours reports Walter Schwimmer has admitted possessing “incorrect information regarding Adjara issues” and termed the recent tension with Georgian authorities as “informational misunderstanding.”

Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili is participating in the Committee of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) member states in Strasbourg on May 12-13.