The Parliamentary Delegation, headed by the First Vice-Speaker, Giorgi Volski, participates in the IPU 151st assembly held in Geneva on October 19-23.

Mr. Volski participated in the general debates on “Upholding humanitarian norms and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis”.

As he noted, Georgia is one of the most war- and conflict-affected countries, having experienced a conflict during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s and another with Russia in August 2008, which further exacerbated the situation.

“As a result, Georgia has one of the highest numbers of IDPs per capita — with up to 300,000 registered IDPs, representing more than 90,000 families.
The Government of Georgia spares no effort to protect the rights and fundamental freedoms of all affected citizens, including those residing in the occupied territories, regardless of their ethnic origin.
The Georgian Government’s peace initiative, “A Step to a Better Future,” encompasses a set of measures aimed at promoting the engagement of conflict-affected populations in social and economic projects and at rebuilding trust between communities divided by war”, - he noted.

G. Volski provided detailed information about the state healthcare referral program in Georgia, the housing of IDPs, and the small business grants for them.

He expressed his gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for undertaking humanitarian projects in Georgia.

“The role of the neutral mediator of the Red Cross is to be particularly underlined, acting on both sides of the occupation line and ensuring the search and identification of the remains of those who died or went missing during the wars, while also providing support to their families”, - he stressed.

As he noted, Georgia, within the available resources, has rendered aid and assistance to the Ukrainian people.

“As of today, over 1,000 Ukrainian students are enrolled in Georgia’s education system. Ukrainian-language sectors have been established in schools to provide them with the opportunity to receive education in their native language. Dozens of Ukrainian teachers are working within the country’s educational system. We continue to support the thousands of Ukrainians affected by the war who are currently living in Georgia”, - he reported.

Despite ongoing challenges, Georgia maintains economic growth and is a leading country according to certain key indices in international ratings, he observed.

“The achievements of Georgia or any other country lose their value if the countries, particularly those with global influence, fail to take coordinated steps to replace the conflict-oriented world agenda with a peace and cooperation strategy”, - he stated.

Mr. Volski in Geneva is accompanied by Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee; and Kakha Okrojanashvili, the Secretary General of the Parliament.