On 29 January, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili stated that her country would be ready to host the Russian delegation, including the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Ministerial in Tbilisi which is scheduled for May of this year.

“Georgia is planning to set aside its own federal laws, which excludes individuals to enter the country, who favour and/or roam on the occupied territories of Georgia, without permission from the administration,” she said as a response to a question from a Russian journalist. 

Zourabichvili clarified that while Georgia does not approve the affirmed policy of the Russian authorities, it considered its own international obligations. “We are [a] state that respects [our] own international obligations and will accept the Parliamentary Assembly because we respect the regulations and the principles of the organization," Zourabichvili said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia neither approved nor rejected the information that Russian FM Sergey Lavrov might attend the Ministerial in Tbilisi. “Every detail of the Ministerial will be held statutorily and according to the procedures of the law. Georgia as the Chairman country will host the Council of Europe (CoE) Ministerial Committee in May. In the organizational details of the Ministerial summit, we are in coordination with the CoE heads to upkeep every detail of the conference,” read the MFA’s statement. 

The Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulkuliani also commented on Zourabichvili’s statement. She said that it was not yet decided whether the Ministerial would be held in May in Tbilisi. However, she explained that non-admission of any member of CoE would result in imposition of sanctions to Georgia. “Making ado about the issue serves the only purpose to inflict harm to the personality of President and weaken the presidential institute,” she added. 

Vice Parliament Speaker Giorgi Volski said that the “issue will be discussed with our international partners, as it on the one hand concerns the Georgian law and on the other hand our international obligation [as a CoE chair country].”

Several Georgian NGOs and opposition parties criticised Zourabichvili’s statement. The opposition has called the statement “alarming and shameful,” while an NGO stated that the statement “undermined the rule of law and fundamental principles of democracy.” 

Former president of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili stated that though preventing the Russian delegation from entering Georgia “[would] make us feel proud [...] the step may damage our international image.” Margvelashvili said that Georgia will host the event as a CoE chair country and not as an individual state.

On 27 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) started its Winter Session under the chairmanship of Georgia. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani opened the session, by briefing the PACE delegates over the political situation in Georgia (Caucasus Watch reported).