Study visit to the Office of the Public Defender of the Republic of Georgia - Tbilisi

In late July 2007, a three member delegation from the Office of the Greek Ombudsman, comprising Ms. Chrissi Hatzi, Deputy Ombudsman of the “Quality of Life” Department, Mr. Dimitris Christopoulos, Eunomia Project Manager, and the Greek Ombudsman himself, Mr. Yorgos Kaminis, paid an official visit to the Office of the Public Defender of the Republic of Georgia in Tbilisi. This was the second bilateral contact between the two institutions, following the official visit of a delegation of the Georgian Public Defender’s Office headed by Mr Sozer Subari, in Athens in June 2006.

The Greek Ombudsman delegation held meetings with the Public Defender’s staff, representatives of the religious minorities in Georgia and members of the Greek community of the country. Messrs. Kaminis and Subari agreed to consolidate the links of collaboration between their two offices within the framework of the Eunomia project. It is expected that the Greek Ombudsman and the Georgian Public Defender will work together in organising an international conference to be held in Tbilisi in spring 2008 on the topic “Minorities before the Ombudsman” for the 10th anniversary of the Georgian institution.