Council Of Europe Reaffirms Unified Stance On Georgia Conflict Condemning Russia and Backing Sovereignty

On May 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a statement regarding the decision adopted the same day by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe under the agenda item "The Council of Europe and the Conflict in Georgia." The decision, described as the thirteenth of its kind, was supported by all 46 member states and, according to the statement, reaffirmed their continued backing for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

The Council of Europe decision stated that the Russian Federation remains in breach of its international obligations, including those stemming from the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement, and continues to maintain what was described as an illegal military presence in the de-facto Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia.

The document also referenced the Declaration adopted at the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe held on 16–17 May 2023, in which member states called on Russia to comply with its international obligations and to withdraw its forces from Georgian territory "immediately, fully, and unconditionally."

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry statement, the Committee of Ministers additionally welcomed judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in inter-state cases brought by Georgia against Russia. These rulings, the statement noted, establish Russia’s responsibility for serious human rights violations during the occupation of the de-facto Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions and confirm Russia’s effective control over Abkhazia prior to the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war.

The statement further highlighted a judgment delivered on 14 October 2025 in the case Georgia v. Russia (IV), under which the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Russian Federation to pay €253 million in compensation for more than 29,000 individuals affected in the occupied territories.

The Committee of Ministers also called on Russia to execute the Court’s rulings and to ensure unhindered access for Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms to areas of Georgia beyond the control of the government.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry emphasized that this decision has been adopted in a consistent form since 2014 and described it as an important legal and political instrument reflecting the unified position of Council of Europe member states regarding the situation in the occupied regions of Georgia.

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