UK Concerned over Georgia, CoE Dispute
The UK Government has expressed its concern over deteriorating relations between the Georgian Government and the Council of Europe (CoE).
According to Angus Robertson MP, the Foreign Affairs spokesman of the opposition Scottish National Party, the Parliamentarians in the UK House of Commons heard on May 11 about the worries during Foreign Office question-time when the planned expulsion of a top CoE official by the Georgian government was raised.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign Office Bill Rammell MP said at the hearing that he is ?concerned at that development.?
President Mikheil Saakashvili has slammed the Council of Europe for its May 2-3 statement which put a blame for escalation in Adjara both on Tbilisi and Batumi. As Aslan Abashidze fled Georgia on May 6, official Tbilisi indicated that it wants Plamen Nikolov, special representative of the Council of Europe (CoE) Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, out of Georgia.
Georgia Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili is visiting Strasbourg on May 12-13 and will discuss the issue with CoE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer.
