Starting today until May 15, 2020 Georgia will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), a decision making body composed of the ministers of foreign affairs of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe or their permanent representatives in Strasbourg.
According to the CoE, the chair “acts in a neutral way and ensures that the rules and guidelines are respected”. It further “guides the discussions, puts proposals to the vote and announces decisions.”
Georgia has taken over the chairmanship from France.
In his address to the public earlier today Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that the chairmanship is a “big responsibility and a big challenge for Georgia, as our country will exercise its presidency in the international organisation for the first time.”
Zalkaliani said that Georgia has gone through and overcome many difficulties since gaining its independence back in 1991.
“There are still many things to do in the country. However, today I can proudly say that Georgia is not only a country of ancient history and traditions, but also a successful and a modern state that gained its genuinely deserved place within the international community,” Zalkaliani said.
The Council of Europe is a leading organization for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, founded in 1949.
