Ivanishvili Holds Talks With PACE President

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon

Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has held talks in Strasbourg, France with the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon.

After the meeting on April 22, Ivanishvili told journalists that the talks focused on the further development of Tbilisi's ties with the European Union and "Georgia’s integration into European structures."

Ivanishvili also said that they discussed the possibilities of restoring ties between Russia and Georgia, which were severed after their brief war in 2008.

Mignon added that they talked about the current political situation in Georgia.

Ivanishvili has faced criticism because criminal charges have been filed against many of President Mikheil Saakashvili's associates since his United National Movement party was defeated by Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream coalition in October parliamentary elections.

Ivanishvili is scheduled to address a PACE session on April 23.

Based on reporting by apsny.ge and Interfax