(Read the full article on civil.ge)

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Rik Daems, is visiting on July 27-28 Georgia, where he has already met Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava, as well as lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties, CIVIL.GE reported.

At the meeting with Georgian PM, the two discussed the October 2 local elections, July 5-6 homophobic violence and the implementation of the EU-brokered April 19 deal. PM Garibashvili said the Government is “motivated” to hold the polls in a “calm and transparent environment,” the Government Administration press service reported.

“The PM noted that police performed at a high level [on July 5-6], every act of violence against journalists will be investigated shortly and every wrongdoer punished appropriately,” said the press release.

According to the same report, the Georgian PM said that provisions envisaged in the EU-mediated deal have been implemented, and the process continues. Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani was also in attendance at the meeting