Acting State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has presented her program at a joint sitting of the Parliament of Georgia.

The procedure of declaration of confidence to the composition of the Government started in the Parliament in the morning and the MPs were given the opportunity to listen to ministerial candidates and their programs.

Ketevan Tsikhelashvili talked about the government's new peace initiative "A Step for a Better Future" and noted that the initiative has already received full international support from Georgia's partners. According to her, citizens living in the occupied territories are also interested in the initiative and they are already expressing their desire to join the programs or projects under this initiative.

"It is very important to support this initiative. The Office of the State Minister has already prepared an implementation plan which has several directions. Obviously, one of the directions is legal issues and relevant agencies are already working on it. The infrastructure should me prepare along the dividing lines so that it can serve the initiative's tasks. The project is ready and it is possible to implement it within three months.

"We are working with the partners in order to find new platforms for public dialogue, arrange meetings to people who are interested in implementing this initiative, its trade, educational or other projects.

"The financial part is also very important. Both state and private resource and also donors mobilization are considered. The state plans to launch subprogram. There is an initiative to create a special fund that will have two main directions. One is supporting initiatives and especially trade initiatives, and the second direction is to support the population along the dividing lines", - said the acting State Minister.

Ketevan Tsikhelashvili also talked about the projects implemented in villages along the dividing lines since 2013. She noted that gasification of all villages has been completed. It means that 14 thousand subscribers are provided with natural gas. Also, electrification is almost complete. The Government funded students whose families live in these villages. According to the acting State Minister, their number is growing annually and 1200 students are using state funding this year. Continuous the rehabilitation of irrigation water systems. 

"However, all these steps is reaction on the “first needs” of population. Now we plan to move from this phase to the development phase. It is planned to set up a special development strategy for these regions in order to help the population living there to develop their land. This will be our most effective answer to the policy of wire fences. With more development and progress we will definitely be able to defeat the injustice and it is a work to be done in order to have Georgia without barbed wire in the future", - said the State Minister for Acting.

She also emphasized the necessity to improve the situation with the human rights of the population of Gali and Akhalgori. According to Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, the government will never tolerate violations of human rights, as it happened in the case of Archil Tatunashvili and Giga Otkhozoria. And the Government will fight in order to punish persons, who are guilty in these tragedies.

"We will do absolutely everything in order to reconcile the society separated by conflict and artificial lines and get back to each other. This is an integral part and vision of the main task of the State - united future in the united European type country, where every citizen's rights, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation, are protected. Each citizen is equal and is involved in all aspects of the country's life. All this is reflected in the state strategy of civil equality and integration of 2015-2020, which is recognized by our partners as one of the most progressive in the whole region. We will continue to work in this direction.

"Our vision is based on the principle - more diversity and more integration. We shouldn’t give anyone the opportunity to use our differences against our own interests. On the contrary - this diversity and integration should be a unique source of development", - said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili in her speech.

At the end of the committee discussions, all the committees supported the renewed composition of the Government.