“The constitutional reform, welcomed in the report, establishes a fully parliamentary political system that strengthened the separation of powers to ensure that usurpation and abuse of the presidential powers, practiced before 2012, will not happen again.

By abolishing the state suppression mechanisms other areas underscored in the report also progressed, including media freedom and pluralism, accession to the Istanbul convention and adoption of the Antidiscrimination law and practices, labor rights, juvenile justice and child rights, electoral reform, as well as the people centered reconciliation strategy with our brothers and sisters in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions”, - Tamar Taliashvili, Member of the Permanent Delegation of the Parliament of Georgia, Chairperson of the Media and Information Society Subcommittee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated during her speech at the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

T. Taliashvili noted that the report emphasizes that the Application for EU membership, that came after the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014 shows the country's clear commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration.

“Naturally, Georgian people rejected the instrumentalization of the state institutions to suppress people’s voices through torture, inhuman and degrading punishments of the people practiced before 2012.

Yes, in fact, acquittals increased 6 times in the national judicial system, while the ratio of pre-trial and administrative detention decreased 3 times. The total amount of the imposed fines was reduced 5 times. The number of prisoners was reduced by 2.5 times and their mortality rate decreased by 12 times”, - T. Taliashvili noted.

As she clarified, the work is still in progress and this resolution acknowledges the progress alongside with the recommendations and provides the roadmap for the further steps to be undertaken.

Georgia with its ancient history, today strives for territorial integrity, works for consolidation of democracy whilst Russian troops occupy our regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali and Russian destructive soft power through disguised hybrid methods attempts to destabilize the political environment in the country.

Thus, the council of Europe has empowered the confidence of our people by acknowledging the small wins and even some big wins in the reform process.

As she added, this encouragement is so much needed on Georgia’s European pathway that has no alternative.