Georgia has decided to withdraw its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

"We expect the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to return to its fundamental values, which are based on respect for democracy and sovereignty," said the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, during a meeting of the legislative body's bureau.

On January 29, PACE adopted a resolution recognizing the powers of the Georgian delegation with the condition that new parliamentary elections will be held in the country by April and that political prisoners will be released. Until that time, the rights of the Georgian delegation will be limited, and their powers will be reviewed in April.

Following the adoption of this resolution, the head of the delegation, Tea Tsulukiani, announced the cessation of Georgia's participation in the work of PACE. Tsulukiani stated that the accompanying reservations of the resolution are unacceptable for Georgia. Nevertheless, the country remains a member of the Council of Europe. A return to cooperation is possible if the "pressure" and "blackmail" cease, Tsulukiani emphasized.