Norway offers €3.75 mln for Council of Europe’s new Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023
Ambassador of Norway to Georgia Helene Sand Andresen and head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia Cristian Urse met to reiterate the significance of upcoming cooperation projects to be implemented in 2020-2023. Photo: Council of Europe Office in Georgia.
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Norway has pledged a multi-annual contribution of approximately €3.75 million to the Council of Europe’s new Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023, announces the Council of Europe Office in Georgia.
The Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023 aims to bring Georgia’s legislation, institutions and practice further in line with European standards in the areas of human rights, rule of law and democracy.
The action plan is intended to support the country’s efforts to honour its obligations as a Council of Europe member state.
Under this action plan, the Council of Europe and the Georgian authorities have agreed to:
- Implement reforms aiming to enhance the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) case-law at national level
- Align national legislation and practice of anti-discrimination with European standards
- Promote gender equality
- Enhance the independence and accountability of the judicial system
- Improve the electoral legislation and practice
- Reform the penitentiary system
- Enhance information security
- Advance the compliance of national practices with European standards in the field of media and internet
- Improve the quality of local democracy
- Enhance the protection of economic and social rights
- Develop capacity of law enforcement and other agencies to respond to juvenile crimes, further develop youth policies
- Effectively prevent and counter trafficking in human beings, facilitate transition of young legal professions to work
- Facilitate civil society participation in decision making at all levels
- Increase dialogue and confidence building between divided communities.
The full action plan is available here.
Ambassador Designate of the Kingdom of Norway to Georgia Helene Sand Andresen has arrived in Tbilisi yesterday to present copies of her credentials to Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani.
Norway is going to open an embassy in Georgia, announces the Government of Norway. At the same time, the embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan will be closed and the embassy in Ankara, Turkey will then be responsible for Norway’s relations with Azerbaijan.
Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide is in Tbilisi today for her first official visit to Georgia. Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria hosted Soreide, and the pair signed a plan of bilateral cooperation for 2017.
Norway will contribute more than €1 million to enhance the judiciary, human rights and administration of elections in Georgia. The money will be spent on implementing the Council of Europe 2016-2019 Action Plan for Georgia.
Norway refuses to recognise the so-called parliamentary elections held in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia, Helene Sand Andresen, Ambassador of Norway to Georgia and Armenia, said.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday discussed “positive trends” in current cooperation and prospects of further strengthening ties with Anniken Huitfeldt, the foreign minister of Norway, the government administration said.
Georgian foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Monday said the “close cooperation” established between Georgia and Norway had brought the country “tangible results”.
Georgian foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Monday praised the role of Tbilisi as a “regional diplomatic hub” as Norway unveiled its embassy in Georgia’s capital.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Zurab Beridze, the country’s newly appointed Ambassador to Norway, on Monday discussed the existing cooperation and prospects for closer partnership between the two states.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday discussed current ties and prospects for further strengthening the bilateral cooperation with Norway in a meeting with the country’s newly appointed Ambassador Bergljot Hovland.