The PACE is not the rostrum for Georgia to settle a score with Russia, said Konstantin Kosachev, Russian delegation head. "Conflict-related problems are ticklish, and require the utmost tact," he warned to come down on Georgian delegates for their tone, which he described as "public rally style".
"We don't want to see the PACE used for trying to get even with each other. Tbilisi has problems with Abkhazia and South Ossetia [unrecognised republics and former Georgian autonomies]. It ought to settle those problems at home, rather than on the international scene," pointed out Mr. Kosachev.
As Speaker Nino Burjanadze of Georgia's parliament addressed a communication to the debaters, she accused Russia of using double standards on Chechen and Georgian separatists.
Konstantin Kosachev said he regrets that "Russian-Georgian relations have been reduced to the Abkhaz and South Osset conflicts with a narrow-minded approach to the problem".
He highlighted long-established Russian-Georgian friendship, and said that Russia was carrying on reduced-price fuel exports to Georgia despite the importer's considerable debt.
As Georgian delegates speak at the debates, they will demand that the Council of Europe appoint a coordinator of Russian-Georgian relations, Grigori Bokeria, delegation head, said to Novosti yesterday.
The PACE Charter does not envisage whatever resolutions made at emergency debates.
The whole discussion did not take a long time. It finished without passing whatever documents as soon as Russian, Georgian and certain other MPs spoke up.
