CoE, PACE Call for Unconditional Ceasefire

Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis said that Georgia was on the edge of full-scale war, which would have devastating consequences for the people in the region.

“Everyone should refrain from any action which endangers the lives of the civilian population. The first priority is an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. This should be followed by direct talks in order to find a peaceful and permanent solution,” a statement issued by the CoE on August 8 reads.
 
Lluís Maria de Puig, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), called on the sides to immediately end violence in South Ossetia.

“I appeal for calm and call on all the parties to do everything in their power to prevent any further violence,” he said.

“We must do everything possible to prevent war and further casualties. It is through dialogue, not violence, that tensions in the region can be brought to an end. Once again, PACE offers its support to any efforts to achieve a peaceful and democratic resolution of the conflict,” the PACE president added.