Georgian Reconciliation Minister, Geneva Talks Co-Chairs discuss regional security, challenges for Georgia
The Office of the State Minister said the meeting had focused on the “dire” humanitarian and legal situation of people affected by the ongoing Russian occupation of two of Georgia’s regions. Photo: 1tv.ge
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Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, its impact on global and regional security, and the challenges Georgia faces in the context were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, and the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Talks.
The Office of the State Minister said the meeting had focused on the “dire” humanitarian and legal situation of people affected by the ongoing Russian occupation of two of Georgia’s regions.
Viorel Moshanu, the Special Representative of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Chairman-in-Office for the South Caucasus, and Cihan Sultanoglu, the United Nations Special Representative, were involved in the meeting as Co-Charis of the Geneva Talks, a platform facilitating discussions between the Georgian Government and the de-facto authorities in the occupied regions of the country.
Another focus of the meeting was unconditional release of citizens of Georgia - Mamuka Chikvaidze, Kakhaber Natadze, Valeri Kaniashvili, Zaza Megrelishvili, Tamaz Gogichashvili and Irakli Bebua - currently in illegal imprisonment in the occupied regions following their unlawful detention by occupation troops.
The discussion also highlighted the need to make progress on a safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees, and other humanitarian issues.
In addition, the progress of the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism - which deals with incidents along the occupation line separating the central Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) from Georgian-controlled territory - and the need for unconditional resumption of the Gali meetings - in the north-western occupied region of Abkhazia - were discussed.
The Geneva Co-Chairs reaffirmed their readiness to continue efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Georgia.
The situation in Ukraine is a “catastrophe” and the entire world must “wake up” and stand up to such events in the 21st century, Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of the Georgian Parliament, told journalists on Thursday.
I hope that NATO countries will soon make a political decision on Georgia's membership in the alliance, Nikoloz Samkharadze, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) MP who chairs the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday during the meeting with Alexander Vinnikov, the new head of the NATO Liaison Office in Georgia.
The situation created by the armed conflict taking place in Ukraine, the ongoing occupation of Georgian regions, and release of Georgian citizens illegally arrested by occupation forces were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia, and Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia.
Russia's actions in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, as well as the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripals in Salisbury were warnings to the West, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in an opinion piece published by The New York Times on Sunday.
Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, on Thursday highlighted the “foundational” significance of promoting knowledge of state language in comments marking the Georgian Language Day, at awards for graduates of a programme of ambassadors of state language.
The cooperation of Georgian state agencies with the United States in implementation of its civil equality and integration policy was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between Tea Akhvlediani, Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality and Peter Wiebler, the Mission Director of the Georgian office of the US Agency for International Development.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the country’s Government was “doing its utmost” to free Irakli Bebua, an ethnic Georgian who was illegally sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020 by the de facto authorities of north-western Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region for burning the flag of the de facto region.