President Zurabishvili announces several initiatives benefiting Georgian emigrants
President Salome Zurabishvili met with members of the Georgian diaspora in France. Photo: President’s press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has voiced several programmes which aim to boost the engagement of Georgian emigrants in the country’s everyday life and help them retain close ties with their native country.
One of the initiatives proposes the Georgian diaspora receiving its own MP in the Georgian parliament.
Along with the state agencies, we will work on legislative amendments that will allow for the election of Georgian citizens residing abroad to the parliament of Georgia, Zurabishvili said.
When I meet President @EmmanuelMacron, I will thank him on behalf of #Georgia ???????? for all the work #France ???????? has done to help the first, second, and new waves of Georgian emigration. pic.twitter.com/i1G4MzcmaV
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 18, 2019
She stated that a similar practice is common in European countries, namely, in Italy.
The idea is as follows: one or more electoral districts (e.g. Europe and the United States) may be added to the existing electoral districts. Representatives of the Georgian diaspora living in new electoral districts will be allowed to stand as candidates in the Georgian parliamentary elections,” Zurabishvili said.
Zurabishvili stated that the new Georgian constitution has made receiving double citizenship simpler. However, several steps are still to be taken to settle citizenship-related issues.
In these days, we will introduce a new amendment to the law to simplify the process for everyone [to receive the double citizenship,” Zurabishvili said.
As I said in my speech last night to the Georgian community in #France ????????, the diaspora can find in me an ally and a friend as someone who has known and lived on both sides of the community. pic.twitter.com/L9KSRazQ28
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 18, 2019
She stated that her administration will run a contest in March for those interested in employment and the contest will be open for those living abroad.
In summer, we also plan to take interns from the diaspora who will take various initiatives and introduce new ideas in Georgia.
Zurabishvili stated that studying the Georgian language should become one of the priorities for the Georgian government for its citizens abroad.
We are working with the Ministry of Education of Georgia, to provide distance-learning lessons of the Georgian language for the diaspora members.
“There is an idea as well to organise youth summer camps in Georgia that will involve young people from the diaspora,” Zurabishvili said.
Zurabishvili is on a state visit to France.
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