The State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili met with the representatives of diplomatic corps and international organizations and introduced them new peace initiative "A Step for a Better Future".

About 60 guests attended the meeting. The State Minister provided them with detailed information about the peace initiative and spoke about the details of the novelty. Tsikhelashvili called the initiative of the Government of Georgia extremely important and added that first of all this initiative responds to the needs of the population.

"This initiative has absolutely unanimous, solid and open support from our partners. Today it was once again confirmed that the entire international community shares the goals that it has. Express their readiness to support both politically and practically.

"Today we have discussed with the partners further steps for implementation. Their involvement and support will be critical in the future too. All these projects are directed towards confidence building, dialogue between the representatives of societies and encouraging contacts between people. In the framework of the new initiative, there are many tools in order to move to a new level, and of course there are many opportunities for residents in the region of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali to get all the tangible benefits that will be on the path of development of the country.

"Despite growing obstacles and barricades, in order to overcome them, the construction of bridges is essential. Their involvement in the confidence building projects is very important", - said the State Minister and thanked the partners for their clearly expressed support. The acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elizabeth Rudd said that new peace initiative “A Step to a Better Future" is very important and it will have a positive impact on the peace process.

"We support Georgia's new initiative to strengthen its territorial integrity. We believe that this initiative, which will facilitate trade in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and facilitate new opportunities in education, will be an important step. I think it will have a new positive impact on the peace process", - said Rudd.

The United Nations Permanent Coordinator, Permanent Representative of the UN Development Program in Georgia Niels Scott positively assessed the "A Step for a Better Future".

"The UN is pleased with this project, because first of all, it will ease the situation to those people who have suffered from the conflict. Now the main issue is to provide people, who can benefit from these initiative, with the information about it. This should be explained. We are very optimistic and are interested in all the details. The next important step will be the implementation of the initiative", - said Niels Scott.

The Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili presented new peace initiative on April 4. The aim of this initiative is to improve the humanitarian and social-economic situation of the population of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region / South Ossetia, to encourage contacts between people of the both sides of dividing lines.