Public Defender Nino Lomjaria paid an official visit to Armenia's capital Yerevan on July 15-17, 2018. Together with Armenia's Ombudsman ArmanTatoyan, Justice Minister ArtakZeynalyan and representatives of international delegations, she participated in a conference organized by the Armenian side.

Activities of the National Preventive Mechanism of Georgia, the rights of women and juveniles in the penitentiary establishments of Armenia and access to health care in prisons were discussed in the round table format.

In the welcome speech, the Public Defender of Georgia thanked Armenia's Ombudsman for inviting her, emphasized the importance of close cooperation between the human rights institutions and historic links between Georgia and Armenia. Nino Lomjaria also reviewed international mandates, on which Georgia's Office has been actively worked in recent years.

"It is important to share experience in the field of human rights with neighboring countries. Armenia and Georgia have had national preventive mechanisms that monitor penitentiary establishments and other closed institutions for many years. In 2014, the Public Defender of Georgia was granted the mandate of a national monitoring mechanism of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has recently been joined by Armenia. In order to improve the new mandate, the Georgian Public Defender, together with Armenia, has already appealed to the European Commission for support," Nino Lomjaria said at the conference.

Within the framework of the visit to Yerevan, the Public Defender and her deputies, as well as members of the delegation, will visit the penitentiary establishments and will meet with the Georgian diaspora in Armenia.