Council of Europe outlines Georgia's challenges in protecting rights of national minorities

Georgian society respects diversity, but more action is needed to recognize national and religious minorities as an integral and valuable part of its society.

A general atmosphere of support for the protection of minority rights prevails in Georgia, but more action is needed on the part of the authorities to create a climate of mutual respect and dialogue among all people in society. Persons belonging to persons belonging to national minorities should be accepted as an equal, integral and valuable part of Georgian society.

These are the key conclusions of the new Opinion on Georgia published today by the Council of Europe's Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

The Advisory Council calls on the Georgian authorities to do more on their part to promote the social inclusion of all national minorities by taking concrete steps to build confidence and mutual respect.This includes activities to raise awareness among the population about the rights of national minorities and the laws of the country.

Access to Georgian citizenship remains problematic for persons belonging to certain national minorities, in most cases due to strict language requirements and other practical barriers. The Advisory Committee encourages the authorities to ensure co-operation with minority representatives to address the inequalities faced by national minorities, including ethnic Azeris.

The insufficient and unsatisfactory participation of persons belonging to minorities in the political, social and economic life of Georgia is also a matter of concern.

The report also addresses the repatriation of deported Meskhetian Turks. A small number of them have returned to Georgia. It was reported that the state placed "insurmountable obstacles for repatriated Meskhetians to obtain Georgian citizenship", including the obligation to renounce citizenship of other states (mainly Azerbaijan - Note by the authors of the report). Many feared that by renouncing their only citizenship they risked becoming stateless. The Advisory Committee encourages the authorities to expand the teaching of minority languages in the general curriculum at primary and secondary school level.

Curricula on the culture and literature of national minorities, in particular Azeris and Armenians, should be developed and teachers should be trained at university level.