Visit by UK’s Minister of State for Europe and the Americas to Georgia
Foreign Minister of Georgia H.E. Mikheil Janelidze welcomed H.E Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Rt Hon Alan Duncan MP for a bilateral visit to Georgia. The visit took place in parallel with the third round of the high level UK-Georgia bilateral “Wardrop” Dialogue, led by Foreign Minister of Georgia, Mikheil Janelidze and Minister of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan MP. The dialogue is named after Sir Oliver Wardrop, an expert on Georgian language and culture who was posted to Tbilisi as the UK’s first Chief Commissioner of the Transcaucasus from 1919-1921.
Summary: Discussions during the Wardrop Dialogue covered current and future UK-Georgia cooperation in the political, defence and security spheres; process for Georgia’s integration with the EU and NATO; progress on priority reforms, including the government’s 4 point reform plan, and judicial reform in Georgia; and an exchange of views on regional political and security developments. Both sides positively evaluated the work achieved under the Wardrop Dialogue banner so far in the fields of foreign policy, security and defence, business and the economy. The introduction of a new session on People-to-People relations brought a new element to this year’s Wardrop Dialogue, with a particular emphasis on developing educational ties, cultural collaboration and city twinning.
At the opening Ministerial Plenary Session Minister Janelidze gave an update on developments in Georgia since the last session in 2015, including the October Parliamentary elections, and a forward look at the new Government of Georgia's agenda. Minister for Europe and the Americas Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan MP said that the UK looked forward to continuing to work with Georgia, and gave an update on developments in the UK since the last Dialogue in 2015. He stressed that the UK would maintain a leading role in global affairs through the UNSC, NATO, G7, and G20, and that the UK’s decision to leave the EU would not mean any reduction in its interest in, or commitment to, Georgia and the wider region. Minister Duncan stressed that the UK follows the conflict in Georgia and he condemned the ratification by the Russian Federation of the so-called “agreement” on the creation of a joint group of armed forces in Abkhazia region. In recognition of the value of this annual Dialogue and the close ties between our two countries, Minister Janelidze and Minister Duncan agreed to an upgrade of the UK-Georgia dialogue to become the “Wardrop Strategic Dialogue”.
During official level discussions, the two sides discussed cooperation on political, security and defence issues; business and economic cooperation; and the potential for further expanding people-to-people ties, education and cultural links. In the political, security and defence discussions, the UK side noted that the October parliamentary elections had been competitive and well-administered, and expressed its strong continuing support for Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations.
The UK also reiterated once again its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders, and expressed concern over the grave security and human rights situation in Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. The UK firmly supports the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Georgia, based on full respect of the fundamental norms and principles of international law and the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement.
The two sides welcomed the strong security and defence relationship between their two Governments, noting the extent of defence cooperation, and welcoming continued exchange of expertise on Cyber and Counter-Terrorism issues. The UK expressed its appreciation for Georgia’s continuing contribution to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Both sides welcomed the participation of 160 British military personnel in the US-Georgia military exercise Noble Partner 2016.
The two sides discussed further potential for deepening business and commercial ties, noting that the UK was the second biggest investor in Georgia and that bilateral trade is on an increasing trend. They highlighted the importance of the South Caucasus pipeline as an important component of European energy security.
Finally, the two sides welcomed strong existing people-to-people links and explored ways to increase educational and cultural ties between the UK and Georgia, including the activities undertaken by the British Council in Georgia, English language training programmes, the growing number of Chevening Scholarships for Georgia, with 17 Chevening scholars this year alone, and the strong partnerships represented by the twinning associations between Newport and Kutaisi; Tbilisi and Bristol; and Newcastle and Akhaltsikhe. Both sides agreed that all efforts should be made to support and develop these links further.
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VIDEO / Prime Minister of Georgia Attends a Funeral Service of Military and Civilian Citizens of Georgia Deemed Missing after the Armed Conflict of 1990’s Relocated from the Occupied Territory of Abkhazia
Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia accompanied by Members of Government, attended a funeral service of the military and civilian citizens of Georgia deemed missing after the armed conflict of 1990's that have been relocated from the occupied territory of Abkhazia today.
The Prime Minister of Georgia paid tribute to the memory of the deceased at the Trinity Cathedral and expressed condolences to their family members.
Out of the 20 identified individuals that were deemed missing, 14 are military and 6 - civilians.
Within the scope of a mechanism designed to locate the missing individuals after the armed conflict of 1990's and a war of 2008 August, first round of identification and relocation of the corpses occurred in 2013. To this day, corpses of 604 individuals have been located, out of which 265 are identified.
Press Service of the Government Administration
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Conflict in Georgia: Secretary General’s Consolidated Report says little progress in human rights and humanitarian situation in conflict-affected areas
Strasbourg, 19.04.2023 – Serious concerns persist regarding the human rights situation in the areas affected by the armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Georgia in August 2008, according to a report by Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić presented to the Committee of Ministers and published today.
The bi-annual report (covering the period November 2022–March 2023) on the conflict in Georgia highlighted that core issues concerning the human rights and humanitarian situation in the conflict-affected areas continue to see little progress. Various restrictions on freedom of movement and access to education and healthcare remain of serious concern, including in terms of their impact on vulnerable groups.
Against the continuous impediments by the Russian Federation to peaceful conflict resolution, security, and stability in the wider region, the Secretary General welcomed Georgia’s continuous efforts and initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and reconciliation, and their provision of free access to health care, education, and other social benefits for all residents of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as their efforts to address the needs of internally displaced persons.
During the period under review, operational activities on Confidence-Building Measures were continued. The report, for instance, notes that archive specialists from both sides of the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) continued to work in online format and met in person, for the first time since the Covid-19 public health crisis. Efforts have been initiated to facilitate dialogue between psychologists specialised in war traumas and on the prevention of gender-based violence on both sides of the ABL. The development of further initiatives continues in close co-ordination with the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality.
Secretary General stressed that continuing her periodic reporting to the Committee of Ministers on the conflict in Georgia will remain a high priority.
Note for Editors
Consolidated reports on the conflict in Georgia have been prepared by the Secretary General since 2010, following a Committee of Ministers decision. The current report is based, inter alia, on the results of the fact-finding visit to Tbilisi on 13-14 February 2023. The delegation also had the possibility to observe the situation at the Administrative Boundary Line.The current Consolidated report examines, inter alia, the implementation of the European Court’s judgments in the two inter-state cases “Georgia v. Russia (II)”, concerning the armed conflict between Georgia and the Russian Federation in 2008 and its consequences, and "Georgia v. Russia" (I)” concerning arrests, detentions and expulsions from the Russian Federation of Georgian nationals in 2006-2007.
On 20 April, the European Court of Human Rights is due to deliver a ruling on the inter-state application “Georgia v. Russia (IV)”, lodged by the Government of Georgia in August 2018, which concerns the alleged deterioration of the human rights situation along the administrative boundary lines between Georgian-controlled territory and Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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The fifth high-level EU–Georgia Strategic Security Dialogue took place on 25 January 2023 in Tbilisi. It reflected the strong level of commitment by both parties to take cooperation forward, including on foreign and security policy, in line with the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
The parties highlighted the historic importance of the decision of the European Council of 23 June 2022 to recognise the European perspective to Georgia.
The participants discussed the consequences of the conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, including the conflict dynamics in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. They called on the Russian Federation to fully implement the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire Agreement.
They also highlighted the important role of the EU Monitoring Mission for peace and security in Georgia, and underlined the necessity of ensuring the full implementation of its mandate. The European Union reaffirmed its unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
The meetings of the high-level EU–Georgia Strategic Security Dialogue are held once a year and cover issues of common interest in the field of foreign and security policy.
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The delegation of the Republic of Maldives led by the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Khaleel, visited Georgia from 22 to 24 December 2022.
Within the framework of the visit, on 23 December, the second round of political consultations was held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Republic of Maldives. From the Georgian side, the consultations were chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili.
During the consultations, the sides discussed in detail a wide range of bilateral relations and talked about the prospects for future cooperation. Both sides emphasized the importance of exchanging high-level visits and developing the bilateral legal framework. Talking points also included the possibility of developing relations in the areas of trade, tourism, education, sports and agriculture. In addition, the sides highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation in multilateral formats, including within the UN. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia thanked his Maldivian counterpart for supporting the UN resolution on the status of displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia and Tskhinvali region, Georgia.
During the consultations, the Maldivian side confirmed once again its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
Within the framework of the visit to Georgia, the delegation of the Republic of Maldives also held meetings with the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Nikoloz Samkharadze, and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Genadi Arveladze. -
Kutaisi wins national best practice award for smart eco-city portfolio
The National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG) announced the winners of its annual best local government and municipal practices competition.
The initiative was supported by the European Union, UNDP and Denmark, under their broader assistance for regional and local development in Georgia, including through the EU-funded programme Mayors for Economic Growth Facility (M4EG). Fourteen municipalities were awarded this year, with Kutaisi winning the national award for the smart eco-city portfolio.
Earlier this year, Kutaisi was selected by the EU and UNDP for a two-year-long journey to explore a smart eco-city model and nature-based urban innovation and facilitate the transition towards green and sustainable life. This municipal transformation portfolio received €225,000 in funding from the EU under the M4EG Facility.
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