On December 14, the Council of National Minorities at the Public Defender’s Office and the Office of the State Minister for Reintegration concluded a memorandum of cooperation.

The parties express hope that the memorandum will make the relationship between the agencies more systematic; contribute to civil integration and protection of the rights of national minorities; and enable national minorities to become involved more actively in the discussions on issues related to them and, in general, to the developments taking place in the country.

The conclusion of the memorandum was provided for in the National Concept for Tolerance and Civil Integration and the five-year Action Plan adopted by the government of Georgia on May 8, 2008, for whose implementation the activities of ministries and agencies will be coordinated by the Ministry for Reintegration. The Council of National Minorities at the Public Defender’s Office and, accordingly, the national minorities of Georgia will be involved in the monitoring of the implementation of the Concept and the Action Plan.

The State Minister for Reintegration will meet the Council of National Minorities twice in every two months, informing its members of the activities carried out and planned for the implementation of the Concept and the Action Plan.

At the meeting, the Public Defender noted that one of the basic priorities of his activity is the protection of the rights of national minorities. “The Council of National Minorities at the Public Defender’s Office unites leaders of the national minorities living in Georgia and honorable members of our society, and I hope that, in the future, we will be able to do a lot of good things together,” declared the Public Defender.

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