RUSSIA, GEORGIA FACE COUNCIL OF EUROPE EJECTION
By Julian Hale

DefenseNews.com
Sept 16 2008

BRUSSELS – Foreign ministers from the Council of Europe could at an
upcoming meeting decide to suspend Russia and Georgia’s memberships
of the organization for being in breach of their commitments, says
the Council of Europe’s Secretary General Terry Davis.

Davis told journalists here September 15 that he had pointed out to
foreign ministers that this is one option available to them and that
the only sanction available under the COE’s statutes is suspension of
their memberships. For this to happen, a two thirds majority of the
47 foreign ministers whose countries are Council of Europe members
would have to vote for it. At least half would have to be present
for the vote.

Davis is "very concerned" at the situation. "It is almost unprecedented
for two member states of the Council of Europe to be at war with each
other," he said. He pointed out that that neither Russia nor Georgia
had kept promises they made, when they joined the Council of Europe,
to settle disputes by peaceful means.

He has also put forward a second option, to establish a special
monitoring procedure for Russia and Georgia, which would be carried
out by visits to the countries and "would not duplicate what the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe is doing with
its monitors". The monitoring procedure would cover issues such as
human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Davis said that the
procedure could be similar to one that has been set up for Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

Davis says that there are applications at the European Court for
Human Rights by South Ossetians against Georgia and by Georgia against
Russia. He expects the ECHR to focus on two or three applications that
would act as precedents for other cases. He also expects Georgians
to bring actions against Russia for being forced out of Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress