At their meeting on 12 and 13 May, the Ministers' Deputies adopted several decisions on the conflict in Georgia, following the Secretary General's eleventh consolidated report.

The Deputies:

1.            recalled the decision of the Ministers’ Deputies on “The Council of Europe and the conflict in Georgia” of 29 and 30 April and 2 May 2014 (1198th meeting) reiterating the unequivocal support of the Council of Europe member States for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders;

2.            stated that the so-called treaties between the Russian Federation and the Georgian region of Abkhazia on “Alliance and Strategic Partnership” signed on 24 November 2014 and between the Russian Federation and the Georgian region of South Ossetia on “Alliance and Integration” signed on 18 March 2015 are detrimental to the ongoing efforts to strengthen security and stability in the region, clearly violate Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and have no legal validity; they contradict principles of international law and the Russian Federation’s international commitments, including under the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement and its Implementing Measures of 8 September 2008;

3.            expressed serious concern at the continued installation of barbwire fences and other artificial obstacles by the Russian Federation violating, inter alia, human rights and fundamental freedoms, including but not limited to the right to free movement, the right to property, the right to family life and the right to education in the native language of those residing within the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and in the adjacent areas, as well as the fundamental right of lDPs to a safe and dignified return;

4.            encouraged the Government of Georgia to continue strengthening its efforts to reach out to the population of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by enhancing humanitarian activities; called on the parties concerned to further promote people-to-people contacts and reaffirmed their support for confidence-building measures;

5.            welcomed the intention of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe to visit by the end of the year the Georgian region of Abkhazia and administrative boundary line adjacent to the Georgian region of South Ossetia to monitor the human rights situation in the areas affected by the conflict, and looked forward to his reports on the situation;

6.            underlined the importance of the Council of Europe monitoring bodies making further efforts to gain access to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and that the visits to these Georgian regions should, in general, be an integral part of the country visits to Georgia in order to reflect the broader human rights situation in these regions;

7.            called on the Russian Federation to facilitate and grant unrestricted access to the Council of Europe bodies, as well as the Secretariat delegation, when preparing the Secretary General’s consolidated reports, to the areas affected by the conflict in Georgia; invited the Secretary General to engage in a dialogue with the Russian Federation and Georgia to this end;

8.            encouraged the Secretary General to continue the submission of his biannual consolidated reports to the Committee of Ministers covering, inter alia, the question of human rights protection in the areas affected by the conflict in Georgia.