Georgian president, UN High Commissioner discuss human rights, occupied regions
Georgian President and UN High Commissioner have met earlier today. Photo: Georgian president's press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is paying an official visit in Geneva, has met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet.
During the meeting earlier today, Zurabishvili addressed human rights violation cases in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, including the unlawful arrests of Georgian citizens: Irakli Bebua, Genadi Bestayev and Gela Gochoshvili.
The president also touched on a ban of education in the Georgian language in the occupied Gali district (de facto Abkhazia) as a sign of ethnic discrimination.
The officials also discussed the 2021 local self-government elections and political polarisation in Georgia. Zurabishvili noted that women’s engagement in the elections was ‘insufficient.
Good to meet once again with High Commissioner @mbachelet, albeit to discuss unfortunate and crucial topics, including the dire humanitarian situation in the occupied territories and the clear lack of women in Georgian politics. pic.twitter.com/J4G76LmE7m
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) October 14, 2021
Bachelet expressed her sorrow over the collapse of a residential building in the Georgian seaside city of Batumi, and offered her condolences to the Georgian people.
Prior to her meeting in Geneva, Zurabishvili paid a historic visit to Austria, being the first Georgian president to visit the country in an official capacity for the first time in 100 years.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is on her historic visit to Austria, spoke about the situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions as well as the importance of women’s empowerment with the OSCE Secretary General Hekga Schmid.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has paid a historic official visit to Austria. She is the first Georgia president to visit the country in an official capacity for the first time in 100 years. Zurabishvili met with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen earlier today, after meeting with members of the Georgian diaspora in Vienna.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili is paying an official visit to Austria today. Diplomatic relations between Georgia and Austria were established on March 25, 1992. The Embassy of Georgia to Austria first was opened in 1993 while the Embassy of Austria in Tbilisi was launched in 2016. President Zurabishvili will start her visit in Vienna where she will meet with Georgians working in Austria. The meeting will be attended by the representatives of the arts and medicine.
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution initiated by Georgia and co-sponsored by 57 other countries which condemns the demographic changes in Georgian regions due to the Russian occupation of Georgian territories and calls for the dignified and safe return of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has awarded the members of the Group of Friends of Georgia to the Swiss Confederation in the federal city of Bern. Medals of Honour were awarded earlier today to Marianna Krayer, Barbara Schellewald, and Cyrill Haring for their contributions to the popularisation of Georgian culture abroad.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is visiting Swizerland, has received an invitation to join the World Economic Forum in Davos from its Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab. The Swiss town of Davos will be hosting the annual forum on January 17-21, 2022.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has addressed the virtual Summit for Democracy organised by US President Joe Biden and stated that significant threats undermine the progress achieved internally including polarisation, fake news and hate speech which ‘not only fuel internal divisions, but also undermine democratic processes’ in the country.