The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has postponed the decision on the future of monitoring reports on the outcome of the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war until the end of January.
All leading members of the Council of Europe attended a closed session in Paris on Monday to decide whether the discussion of the so-called Russian-Georgian dossier should take a form of preparing general and less frequent reports on relations between Russia and Georgia rather than raising the issue at each PACE session.
The Georgian delegation did not take part in the discussions, citing Russia's refusal to comply with past PACE resolutions, which asked Russia to reverse its recognition of the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.
Russia recognized the independence of the two republics following the five-day war in August 2008, which started when Georgia attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control.
PACE has discussed reports on the consequences of the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war at least five times since October 2008, when the assembly asked Russia to reverse its recognition of the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but did not support radical proposals to deprive Russia of the right to vote.
Both Russia and Georgia are being monitored by PACE to ensure their compliance with commitments under the French-brokered ceasefire agreements.
PARIS, January 18 (RIA Novosti)
