On 20 February 2019, members of the Council of National Minorities of the Public Defender of Georgia met with the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.

Representatives of the State Minister’s Office presented a report on the implementation of the 2018 action plan of the strategy of civil equality and integration, as well as the priorities set for 2019, while Nino Lomjaria reviewed the challenges faced by national minorities of Georgia, which have constantly been indicated in the Public Defender's annual parliamentary reports.

For the purpose of accelerating the process of integration, which represents a basic problem, the Public Defender underlined the importance of ensuring the full participation of national minorities in civil and political life, creating equal social and economic conditions and capabilities for them, ensuring access to quality education, improving the knowledge of the official language, as well as strengthening the efforts of state agencies in the direction of maintaining the culture of national minorities and ensuring tolerant environment.

Members of the Council also showed interest in the activities implemented in support of small and vulnerable ethnic minorities, access to the media and information, gender equality and other issues.

The event was supported by the Promoting Integration, Tolerance and Awareness Project of the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).