The State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality discussed the importance of Georgia's peacekeeping policy, the support of the partners, the situation on the occupied territories and 10 years of occupation at the sitting of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee.

Ketevan Tsikhelashvili provided the members of the European Parliament with detailed information on humanitarian challenges and human rights, reviewed the situation in Gali and Akhalgori. According to the State Minister, the Georgian population living there are the victims of ethnic discrimination. That’s why attention and activity of the partners are very important in order to prevent these processes and improve the situation.

"We summarized these sad 10 years. Russia continues the occupation of Georgian territories. With the results that we have received, it is clear that the current situation has nothing in common with the independence. This is 10 years of dependence on Russia and open rusification policy. This process is not really in the interests of people living in the occupied territories or along the occupation lines", - said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.

During the sitting the special attention was paid to the Georgian Government's new peace initiative "A Step to a Better Future". According to the State Minister, the Government now works on the infrastructure and financial part of the initiative. In this process, the support of partners is very important.

"For us peace has no alternative. We are doing everything now and we will do everything in the future in order to resolve the conflict peacefully. But we are facing provocations and the situation there is not acceptable. People are in a difficult situation. Therefore, it is necessary to invest more resources in peace”, - added the State Minister.