PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,

TO THE ATTENTION OF AMBASSADOR HEIDI TAGLIAVINI,

FORMER HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON THE CONFLICT IN GEORGIA

(Strasbourg, Wednesday 28 April 2010, 10h00)

Dear Ambassador, it is a great pleasure to welcome you here. Many members here are familiar with you, as your name has become synonymous with the report that was published by the Independent International fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia, which is one of the main topics of our discussions today.

Many persons here also know that your experience with Georgia and the two break-away regions goes much further and longer back and included many years as Head of the United Nations Observer Mission to Georgia.

You therefore have an unique and in-depth knowledge and experience of Georgia, the two regions as well as the political developments that lead to the outbreak of the hostilities in August 2008. This was very clear from your excellent report, which in many aspects has confirmed or is complementary to the positions taken by the Assembly in previous resolutions.

We are therefore very grateful that you have accepted to share your knowledge with us and intervene in this debate.