On 23 to 27 January 2023 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, in close collaboration with the EU-funded STREAMinG project held the Coordination Meeting of Consular Officers of Georgia Abroad. The event was aimed at gathering consular officers assigned in various countries of the world in order to insure improvement of delivery of services and overall protection of human rights of Georgian citizens abroad.
On the official opening ceremony, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili spoke before 70 consular officers assigned in 55 countries and emphasized the need for proper and efficient operation of the consular service. “Protecting the rights of Georgian citizens abroad and addressing their needs is an important priority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” – he noted. Within the framework of the event, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khatuna Totladze, spoke about the improvement of the quality and availability of consular services. Among others, the launch of a renewed reception centre for consular services with enhanced capacities both at the operational and analytical levels.
The gathering of consular officers is a great opportunity to discuss the high priority issues related to consular activities, including: Improving the quality and availability of consular services, the legislative framework, modern technologies, effective assistance to citizens in crisis situations, increasing visa-free travel opportunities for Georgian citizens, personal data protection, circular labour migration, fight against trafficking.
The Coordination Meeting of Consular Officers of Georgia Abroad is a high-level event aimed at highlighting the important role of the honorary consul in building the country’s image abroad and improving consular services for Georgian citizens. The event is organised in Georgia annually, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia in cooperation with ICMPD.