Justice Minister candidate commits to continued progress in aligning Georgian laws with EU standards

Grigol Gegelia was telling the policeman, I will know your name tomorrow - let him know, sir, we are together, and what should he do if he knew your name?! - I don't want to emphasize whether this person was sober or not, apart from a politician, if you have complaints about morality and everything, you can't treat a citizen, a policeman like that, - the candidate for the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, said about this, responding to the incident that happened at the November 25 rally. According to him, Grigol Gegelia, a member of the "Strong Georgia" coalition, intimidated and insulted the policeman, which is unacceptable. According to the minister, the allegation that the police used a water cannon was ridiculous. "I will start with Grigol Gegelia. I'm sorry, but it was a bit funny to use some kind of jet. It is better to establish that these people are members of the parliament, if they refuse these mandates. There we saw the most unacceptable thing for me - "I will hear from you tomorrow". Don't let him understand, sir, we are together and what should he do if he found out that one thing first. Or what did the policeman do?! He just stood and did nothing. , shouts at him, why did you bring these cars here, and I think he was insulting me. It was as if he was scared by the meaning of his name. I don't want to emphasize whether this person was sober or not, I brought it in the form of evidence, but nothing so unacceptable happened there for us. He himself went to the police. The police did not come to him, why are you standing here, etc. He himself came and started talking. What was discussed was really unacceptable for me. Apart from a politician, if you have a claim about morality and everything, you cannot treat a person, a citizen, or a policeman like that," said Gomelauri. For information, "Strong Georgia" member Grigol Gegelia was sprinkled with water on Freedom Square. As Gegelia told journalists, they used water from a water jet machine against him after he addressed the police mobilized on the spot. "I have the right to ask a person elected by the population of Georgia to the policemen - are they going to break up a peaceful rally?" - They have no answer to this issue, instead one of the cars used a water jet against me", said Grigol Gegelia.

Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani hopes that the United States of America will reconsider its decision regarding the postponement of a "worthy partner" "based on the reset policy". As Chikovani said at the joint session of the committees, in the format of the declaration of confidence in the government, the said decision from the US side is "regrettable and incomprehensible". "The decision made by the United States of America regarding the postponement of the "worthy partner" was regrettable and incomprehensible. I will also tell you that during this period we had a number of training sessions with our international partners, which we conducted in different directions. I hope that such decisions will ultimately be revised based on the reset policy", said Irakli Chikovani.

“Talking about withdrawal of the parliamentary list will not absolve the opposition of responsibility for the crisis we are in. If anyone believes they can escape accountability for the country’s challenges by withdrawing lists, they are mistaken,” Giorgi Gakharia, chairman of the party For Georgia, stated during today’s briefing. He emphasized that For Georgia would not align with the agendas of either the National Movement or the Georgian Dream. “No one will pressure us into withdrawing our lists. This topic is being raised by those who have nothing substantial to offer to angry voters. We clarified that this parliament lacks our legitimacy, and we reaffirmed this yesterday. As for the mandates, we will decide when and how to relinquish them, based solely on what we consider appropriate—not according to the dictates of the ‘Natsi’, Ivanishvili, or his party. We will act on our terms,” Gakharia concluded.

According to the leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the chairman of "Georgian Dream" Irakli Gharibashvili will not be a candidate for the presidency of Georgia and the team has agreed on another person. According to him, the son of the first President of Georgia, Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, is not considered a candidate for the presidency either. " will be a good President if he is, but he won't be, because the team depends on someone else," said Mdinaradze. For information, the "Mtavari Arkh" reported that "Georgian Dream" is considering Irakli Gharibashvili and Konstantine Gamsakhurdia as presidential candidates.

Vakhtang Gomelauri, the current Minister of Internal Affairs also nominated by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for the same position, presented his plans and reforms during a report formatted as a confidence vote for the government. In his address to the members of Parliament, Gomelauri shared crime statistics, asserting that the situation in the country is stable and shows consistent improvement. He highlighted that the crime-solving rate stands at an impressive 64.87%. Key points from Gomelauri’s report include: – The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) is working on establishing a DNA database, which will significantly enhance the quality of crime investigations. – Efforts to reform the criminal police continue to increase the effectiveness of police operations. – The fight against organized crime and cybercrime remains a priority for the MIA. – From 2018 to 2024, the Ministry has implemented several significant legislative amendments related to family violence, public security, service development, military service, and more. – In 2023, the MIA Academy retrained approximately 8,000 law enforcement officers across various disciplines. – The Ministry has acquired three H145 helicopters designed for rescue and search missions, particularly in high-altitude and challenging operational conditions. – To foster the development of the Emergency Situations Management Service, the MIA has undertaken various infrastructure projects and continued to upgrade its material-technical base. – The MIA is expanding the operational range of the Patrol Police, ensuring that the vehicle fleet and equipment are fully renovated. – Currently, 19 police attachés serve in 38 countries and represent the Ministry in two international organizations: Europol and NATO. – The Ministry is committed to enhancing social security guarantees for police officers, with wages for police unit employees having increased by at least 58-60% from 2020 to 2024. In conclusion, Vakhtang Gomelauri praised the dedication and efforts of law enforcement officials. “I want to express my gratitude to each police officer and MIA employee who faithfully serves our country. I reiterate that the successes we’ve achieved over the years are due to their hard work,” he concluded.