Acting PM unveils Government’s 4-year plan before Alliance of Patriots lawmakers

Today Acting Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili has spoken about the Government’s next four-year plan before lawmakers of the third and smallest party in Parliament - the Alliance of Patriots.

It was a mandatory speech by Kvirikashvili before Parliament votes to approve Kvirikashvili and the new Cabinet of Ministers tomorrow. 

After Kvirikashvili met with the Alliance of Patriots Parliamentary faction, which is composed of six lawmakers, the Acting PM will now deliver speeches before the Parliamentary majority and minority and answer their questions. 

Earlier this morning when Kvirikashvili spoke to the Alliance of Patriots lawmakers, the Acting PM stressed the Government’s next four-year plan followed on from the current Four Point Reform Agenda, which included new tax benefits, infrastructure plans, governance reforms and an overhaul of the education system.

Alliance of Patriots have six lawmakers in Parliament and was the third party to enter Parliament alongside opposition United National Movement and ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia parties. 

The Acting Prime Minister also said special focus would be on better protecting human rights and the rights of the media, a reform of the court and law enforcement system and of the country’s foreign policy priorities. 

Our efforts will be targeted to strengthen our strategic cooperation with the United States and with neighbouring and regional countries,” Kvirikashvili said. 

Based on the challenges the world is currently facing, it is important Georgia acts in coordination with its partner states against terrorism,” he added.

The Acting PM stressed the Government planned to deepen cooperation with international, donor and non-governmental organisations. 

A pragmatic policy with Russia will continue but normalisation of relations will never happen at the expense of our territorial integrity,” he stressed. 

Kvirikashvili highlighted the Georgian Dream Government had introduced various programs to support reconciliation with the country’s currently occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and said this would continue in the coming years. 

We will retain that approach and add some other projects to ensure the success of the reconciliation process,” Kvirikashvili said.

When it came to the proposed reforms, the Acting Prime Minister stressed: 

• Protection of human rights will become more refined and supporting legislation will come fully into line with international standards; 
• The third wave of the justice reform will start as soon as Parliament approves the new Government;
• Intensive efforts will ensure law enforcement work is based on analyses, and referred to the importance of preventing crime; 
• A systemic reform of the Army will be launched to "boost Georgia’s self-defence capabilities and ensure Georgia’s faster integration into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). 

The Acting Prime Minister and 18 ministers all nominated for roles in Cabinet will need at least 76 votes from the 150 lawmakers to be confirmed in their positions.