New strategy to promote dialogue, confidence-building with people in occupied regions - Minister
Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Thursday addressed the Parliament. Photo: Reconciliation Ministry press office
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Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Thursday said an updated strategy and action plan with regards to the country’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia regions and the conflict-affected population was expected to “give a new impetus” to the reconciliation process and confidence-building through a “depoliticised dialogue”.
Addressing the Parliament, the official said the draft of the strategy and action plan - defining the Government's policies to the occupied regions and local populations, as well as those living adjacent to occupation lines - had involved “all state bodies” and developed in “close cooperation” with the country’s foreign partners.
She said the document reflected an “in-depth and comprehensive analysis and assessment” of thematic meetings held at the Parliament, views of domestic non-governmental organisations, and findings of related studies.
The strategy, of course, reflects the interests and needs of the people directly affected by the conflict”, Akhvlediani said, noting the next stage involved its “broad public discussion” in coordination with the country’s “strategic partners” and in consideration of a “dramatically changed” security environment due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Akhvlediani said the Government was taking actions to ensure "maximum" support for the people living in the occupied regions. Photo: Reconciliation Ministry press office.
She said using the strategy, the Government planned to improve humanitarian, legal and socio-economic conditions of the conflict-affected population, promote the expansion of people-to-people contacts with new initiatives, and make its efforts “more effective” to meet the interests of citizens living in the occupied regions.
Pointing to “growing interest” towards opportunities opened up by the Government's reconciliation and engagement policies among residents of the occupied territories, the official pledged the authorities would proceed with a “depoliticised, people-centred efforts”.
Within a couple of years since the establishment of the Peace Fund [as part of the Government's A Step To a Better Future initiative] three grant competitions have been held with more than 200 Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian project applications, of which 75 projects have been funded”, Akhvlediani highlighted.
The Minister spoke about the Government programmes designed to ensure support for the conflict-affected population. Photo: Reconciliation Ministry press office.
She also said the Government was taking actions to ensure education opportunities for individuals living in the occupied regions, noting 230 students had been enroled without exams in the country’s higher education institutions this year.
Considering education-related challenges in the regions and moves by the occupation forces to ban the Georgian language, the official said her office was cooperating with the Education Ministry to offer “alternative learning formats” for all levels of education and non-formal education, as well as developing opportunities for distance learning.
Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian state minister for reconciliation and civil equality, on Sunday discussed the implementation of reconciliation and inclusion of conflict-affected communities in the country, as well as questions of cooperation, with ambassadors and international organisation representatives.
The “severe” legal and humanitarian situation in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia was discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian state minister for reconciliation and civil equality, and Pawel Herczynski, the European Union ambassador to Georgia.
Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian state minister for reconciliation and civil equality, on Monday met Peter Fischer, the newly appointed German ambassador, to discuss the Russian occupation of Georgian territories and existing ties between Georgia and Germany, the minister’s office said.
Tea Akhvlediani, Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, on Friday highlighted results achieved in the state policy for civic equality and integration in her comments on the implementation of the related 2021-2030 Action Plan.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday praised Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s “concrete and unprecedented” initiative to invest $10 billion in the development of the country’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions in the first three years after peaceful reintegration of the territories. He said people living in the occupied regions would consider this proposal “seriously” and realise that “strength lies in unity and development in peace”.
Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Monday discussed conflict-related and security questions, as well as prospects for a further strengthening of bilateral ties with Oleg Serebrian, the Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of Moldova, the Georgian Ministry said.
Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality on Friday briefed John Pennell, the Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development, on the activities and results of the State Minister’s Office in 2022.
Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Tuesday briefed delegates of the Council of Europe over the current situation in the country’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions and the Government policy for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts on the territories, the Ministry said.
Aspects of the cooperation between Georgia and the International Committee of the Red Cross were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Tea Akhvlediani and Agnes Coutou, the Red Cross Envoy on Missing Persons in the Caucasus.
A Georgian Government commission on Monday reviewed support programmes for conflict-affected communities living adjacent to the country’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions, from projects for ensuring access to education to students to rehabilitation of residential homes damaged adjacent to the latter region during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.
The “core issues” concerning the human rights and humanitarian situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions “continue to see little progress”, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić said on Wednesday in her consolidated report on the conflict in Georgia.
Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Tuesday highlighted the unity with Abkhazian compatriots by “common history, culture and traditions” in her remarks on Abkhazia Day.
The presentations of archival publications and documentary films, prepared jointly by the Georgian and Abkhazian professionals, were hosted in Tbilisi, with Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, opening the event, the Office of the State Minister said on Friday.
Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and four other regions of the country on Wednesday marked the International Day of the Disappeared, celebrated annually in order to honour messing individuals and to increase public awareness of the issue.
The “difficult” legal and humanitarian situation in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia were discussed on Monday in a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, the Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality and a delegation of the Council of Europe.
Thea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Wednesday met with Jihan Sultanoglu, the United Nations representative in the Geneva International Discussions, to discuss conflicts in the country and ways for their peaceful resolution.