'Human rights protection improved in Georgia'

Georgia continues to promote reforms in the area of human rights, a statement of the head of the EU Delegation in Tbilisi, Ambassador Philip Dimitrov, issued on behalf of the missions of EU member states said.

The next round of the Human Rights dialogue between Georgia and the EU will be held in Tbilisi on June 26. The previous round was held in Brussels in June 2011.

The Human Rights dialogue is a two-way process which gives the opportunity to note progress in the field of human rights, as well as to raise questions of the parties 'concerns.

'After the last round there has been further progress in Georgia in the area of judicial reform, religious freedom, the promotion of forcibly displaced and in the direction of independent monitoring by using the resources of the Public Defender', a statement said.

The document also states that after the events of May 2011 in the centre of the Georgian capital, most of the demonstrations have been held at an appropriate level in accordance with international principles of democracy.

'In the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections, the EU expects that further progress will be achieved in the way of the formation of a tolerant and pluralistic political environment and timely response to the facts of pressure or persecution on political grounds', a statement said.

The head of the EU mission stresses that "the discussion will also touch upon problems of prisoners and minorities, reports of law enforcement agencies' employees and the functioning of civil society and respect for human rights in the breakaway regions." The EU will also raise the issue of labour rights and the promotion of social dialogue.

Before the next round on June 21-22 under the auspices of the European Union there will be a seminar with representatives of civil society which will focus on issues of law and labour.


/Trend/