TBILISI. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution to urge Georgia to hold new parliamentary elections in the coming months, Georgian media reported on Wednesday.
The PACE confirmed credentials of the Georgian delegation until April 2025.
"In the assembly's view, Georgia's political deadlock and breach of trust between the authorities and civil society can be overcome only through [...] an inclusive political process in Georgia involving all stakeholders and social actors, including opposition and civil society, to urgently address the deficiencies and shortcomings noted during the recent parliamentary elections," Georgian media said, citing a PACE resolution.
The PACE called on Georgian officials to take immediate effective measures to put Georgia back on the track of European integration, to observe civil rights and freedoms, and "release all political prisoners before the 2025 April part-session of the assembly."
Commenting on the resolution on the air of the Imedi television channel, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that it is absurd.
"The resolution proves a rather complicated state of European bureaucracy both in Brussels and in Strasbourg. We have learned about a completely absurd decision. They acknowledged our delegation to the PACE, thus recognizing results of our parliamentary elections, and said right away that they would cancel the credentials of our delegation unless Georgia holds new parliamentary elections by April," Kobakhidze said.
The PACE recognizes the Georgian elections but wants new elections to be held, as the opposition United National Movement they support lost the campaign, he said.
"Our delegation has no intention to keep working at the PACE under the circumstances. Of course, we will return to the PACE if the attitude to the Georgian people and Georgia changes. For now, further work there would make no sense," Kobakhidze said.
Georgia remains a member of the Council of Europe and is ready to cooperate with the assembly in every way, he said.