TBILISI. Jan 17 (Interfax) - The Venice Commission has advised Georgia to moderate its policy towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia defined by Georgia as "the occupied territories".
Venice Commission President Gianni Buquicchio told a press briefing in Tbilisi that the situation with "the occupied territories" must be normalized and said that Georgia had been taking steps in the right direction. He also said that Georgia should not be afraid to liberalize its regulations for the sake of a normal relationship with those territories.
Buquicchio was answering a question about the Venice Commission's attitude toward the relaxation of laws regarding "the occupied territories" and the replacement of criminal liabilities with administrative penalties for law breakers on "the occupied territories."
The Venice Commission president urged Georgian political forces to reconcile.
He said Georgia needed reconciliation, not revenge, and political forces and civil society should be together and create a progressive community oriented at democracy and development. Cooperation between political forces is the only way Georgia can develop, he said.
Buquicchio said he got the impression from his meetings in Tbilisi that Georgia still had an atmosphere of cooperation and that it was good. He added that he had been familiar with Georgia since 1993.
Buquicchio and Venice Commission Secretary Thomas Markert paid a one-day visit to Georgia.
They met with Georgian Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili, Vice-Speaker Zurab Abashidze, Minority Leader David Bakradze, deputies Eka Beselia and Vakhtang Khmaladze, Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, New Rights Party leader Pikria Chikhradze and experts Avtandil Demetrashvili, Dzhoni Khetsuriani and Kakha Kakhishvili.
The Venice Commission delegation visited the National Movement's office.
It also met with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and President Giorgi Margvelashvili.