State Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili held a joint closed-door sitting on the Interim Commission on Restoration of Territorial Integrity and De-occupation, the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committees on Diaspora and Caucasus Issues.

The State Minister spoke about the interest from the occupied regions towards peace initiative “A Step to a Better Future” and the opportunities for co-operation envisaged by the initiative - economic, trade, education and access to various services.

“This interest has a specific expression and we have statistics on it. Frequent contacts, despite heightened barricades, also indicate that there are prerequisites for reconciliation and engagement policies. There is a high interest from the society that is behind the barricades today. We have created mechanisms in place. There are specific suggestions and opportunities they want to use. Now, the task, of course, is that we are slowly, step by step, implement this difficult situation.

“Of course, no one has and could not expect to solve this complex problem easily. That's what I talked about today - specific data, projects, what the prerequisites are. It gives me hope that we will be able to do all this effectively in the future. If the future risks and dangers from Russia will be removed”, - said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.

Recently the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality has reported to the Georgian Parliament the "Ministerial hour" format.