Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe Zurab Tchiaberashvili signed with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland the European Convention on Consular Functions (ETS 061).
The Convention was opened for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe in Paris on 11 December 1967. It sets out certain rules for consular relations between member States, while taking account of the worldwide Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963. It defines the general functions of consuls to protect the rights and promote the interests of their nationals and their country within their district. It also lays down rules for the issue or delivery of documents, the administration of estates and assistance to shipping.
In the near future, Georgia also intends to sign the Protocol to the said Convention relating to the protection of refugees (ETS no. 061A), which sets out provisions concerning refugees in the meaning of Article 48 of the Convention.
