Interior Minister discusses conducting Tbilisi Pride Week “safely” with EU ambassadors
Active efforts of the working group of the Interior Ministry, aimed at ensuring the holding of the Pride Week events in a safe environment through the exchange of information and coordination, were highlighted at the meeting by Gomelauri. Photo via Interior Ministry
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Conducting the events planned within the Tbilisi Pride Week in a “safe environment” was discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia and ambassadors and representatives of the EU member states.
Active efforts of the working group of the Interior Ministry, aimed at ensuring the holding of the Pride Week events in a safe environment through the exchange of information and coordination, were highlighted at the meeting by Gomelauri, the Ministry said.
Photo via Interior Ministry
The Minister also expressed his appreciation towards Herczynski, as well as ambassadors and representatives of the EU member states, for their “active and close cooperation” with the Georgian Interior Ministry.
The meeting was attended by the ambassadors and representatives of the embassies of Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain and Greece, as well as France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
The United Nations and the European Union representation in Georgia, along with 28 foreign embassies in the country, on Wednesday welcomed the increased public support for the protection of minority rights in Georgia but expressed concerns of “stalled progress” in ensuring their protection.
The safety and freedom of expression and assembly of “each individual” will be protected during the upcoming Tbilisi Pride Week, Georgia’s Interior Ministry announced on Monday.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry on Saturday issued a call for groups opposing the ongoing Tbilisi Pride Week events to abide by the law, and pledged to ensure public order, safety and freedom of expression and assembly of “each individual”.
A new survey released on Friday by the US National Democratic Institute and CRRC Georgia showed an increase in support for protection of LGBTQI+ rights in the country.