State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili delivered a speech at the conference initiated by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannieri in Lund, Sweden.

At the conference Ketevan Tsikhelashvili spoke about human rights and problems in Georgia's occupied territories, as well as civil integration policy.

The State Minister in her speech talked about the activities carried out within the framework of state policy on civil integration in Georgia. She underlined the achievements of the country in this direction. She also discussed the challenges that still exist and ways to solve them.

She called the conference, which was attended by heads of OSCE institutions and officials from different countries, very important and added that in any format where human rights are discussed, it is inevitable to mention the major and most pressing problems related to the situation on Georgia's occupied territories.

“Today I spoke in detail about the humanitarian situation in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. Especially on the policy of ethnic discrimination against Georgians. Also about the most pressing and urgent problem - isolation, closure of the Tskhinvali region and the humanitarian crisis in Akhalgori.

“I talked about the necessity of releasing a detained citizen, which is what every state agency is trying to do. I told them that all relevant institutions, be it the OSCE High Commissioner on Minorities or the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, who also attended this session, should take steps within their powers to resolve this problem. Especially if we remind the particular role of the OSCE in the peace process and the Geneva discussions. Also, Russia, the force that exercising effective control on these territories, is actually an OSCE member state.

“In my speech I also talked about Georgia's very successful civil integration policy today. Starting with improving the state language proficiency, ending with special education programs like the "1 + 4 Program”. There are also opportunities to assist them in internships with the state agencies and to take the first steps in their professional careers. The OSCE has made a special film on Georgia and has shown it as a successful model of how the state works to promote ethnic minorities and their involvement in the public sphere”, - said Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.