Georgian Foreign Ministry welcomed on November 24 mentioning of term "the occupied Georgian territories" in reference to Abkhazia and South Ossetia in a joint statement made by EU diplomats in Council of Europe (CoE).

The internal statement, not meant for public release, was made by EU diplomats in response to a report of CoE's Secretary General about Georgia. The second consolidated report on the conflict in Georgia was discussed by ambassadors from ministerial council, CoE's decision-making body, at a meeting in Strasbourg on November 23.

The EU statement made in frames of the committee, says that "situation in Georgia, including its Abkhaz and South Ossetian regions, remains of concern to the EU"; it says that EU supports CoE's more activity on the ground and calls on the CoE Secretary General to intensify contacts with the parties involved "in order to have full access to the occupied Georgian territories."

"The Georgian Foreign Ministry welcomes EU's this statement and thinks, that this is yet another important step taken by the international community towards forcing the Russian Federation to implement August 12 ceasefire agreement and to withdraw its forces from Georgia's occupied regions," the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on November 24.

It said that giving a proper legal assessment to the situation on the ground "is an important step" in order to make Russia understand "the consequences of occupation of the Georgian territories."