Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, held a press conference in Tbilisi on December 20. A journalist from Georgia Today attended the event and received an answer to the question we asked.
Yesterday, key opposition parties in Georgia criticized the lack of purpose of your visit. French politician and MEP Nathalie Loiseau accused you on social media of “creating confusion with your visit in the middle of a very serious political crisis.” How would you respond to these accusations?
This word, “accusation,” sounds quite harsh. I arrived in Georgia three days ago, and I’m here to meet with all sides. I believe this is the only right way to engage with people and find out the best solutions and actions for this situation. Of course, it would have been easier for me to stay in my office in Strasbourg and make statements about Georgia from there. But instead, I chose to spend three full days here in Georgia, and I think that says a lot. This is the only way to speak directly with everyone involved in the process.
Quite obviously, I could have stayed in Strasbourg and invited them to my office, but would they have been able to meet me there? With my visit to Georgia, I gave all the actors in the process a chance to meet with me.
Regarding the “lack of purpose” of my visit, with all due respect, I must strongly disagree. I will soon fly back to Strasbourg, and what we’ve achieved is that the Georgian Dream (GD) has pledged to amend the content of the “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.” Isn’t this a significant outcome, enough to prove that my visit was purposeful?
I think this agreement with GD is very important for the country, as well as for civil society and Georgia’s EU path. The fact that I came to Georgia, spoke with people about the excessive use of force by the police, and discussed the gradual release of all those under administrative detention is crucial. The agreement on a transparent and effective investigation into all cases is also an important outcome of my visit.
Additionally, I have mentioned that representatives of the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture) will arrive in Georgia, as well as the Commissioner and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This is what will happen in the coming days and months.
That’s why I believe it is wrong to say that my visit lacked purpose. If we say we stand firm with Georgia and its people, this must be reflected in actions. And my visit itself is already a fact.
Disclaimer: This is not an exact translation, as we had to retranslate it from Georgian due to an issue with the microphone.
