"On the 15th anniversary of the August 2008 armed conflict between Georgia and Russia, the Council of Europe reaffirms its unequivocal support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. It firmly rejects Russia's recognition of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, as well as its military presence in the region, in blatant violation of fundamental principles and norms of international law.
"I remain deeply concerned about the human rights and humanitarian plight of the conflict-affected population, which continues to suffer from the detrimental consequences of the conflict, especially in the areas under the effective control of the Russian Federation. Their basic rights and freedoms, guaranteed by the European Convention for Human Rights, continue to be gravely violated not least due to the so-called "borderisation" process that I witnessed up-close during my recent visit to the area on 3 July. As the State exercising effective control, the Russian Federation must comply with its international obligations and fully implement all relevant European Court of Human Rights' judgments and remedy all human rights violations. This includes creating conditions for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of displaced persons.
"The Council of Europe is strongly committed to comprehensive and lasting peace and security and expresses its full support for the process of the Geneva International Discussions. In this regard, we will spare no effort in supporting our member State Georgia to address the consequences of the conflict, while promoting reconciliation, dialogue and human rights through the confidence-building measures (CBMs) programme. I will continue to regularly inform our 46 member States through my consolidated report on the conflict in Georgia as a basis for further engagement."
