“We congratulate Georgia on the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the Charter on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority, and we hope that the authorities will soon ratify some provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which Georgia already applies”, stated Congress Vice-President Xavier Cadoret at the opening of the conference on “The role of the Council of Europe Congress in the promotion of local democracy in Georgia” on 24 September 2019 in Tbilisi, in the presence of Vice-Prime Minister Maya Tskitishvili.
The Vice-President welcomed the substantial progress achieved by Georgia in terms of local autonomy, including the development of a strategy and an action plan for decentralisation.
Mr. Cadoret also reaffirmed the Congress' willingness to continue its political dialogue with the Georgian authorities and its cooperation activities on the ground, especially in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023. “The Congress and Georgia have a long-standing relationship of close co-operation, motivated by the desire to establish a system of governance in Georgia that is close to citizens and focused on their interests and concerns”, said the Vice-President of the Congress.
He also highlighted the fundamental role played by the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), with which the Congress maintains close links.
The conference was organised as part of the 20th anniversary of Georgia's accession to the Council of Europe, which coincides with its chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, beginning November 2019. The event also coincided with the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 25th anniversary of the Congress.
Xavier Cadoret's speech (only available in French)
Webpage of the event: Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia - 24 September 2019
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