MINELREL-L Archive (05021999-12:42:50-5016)

Fwd: Georgia: President's decree on Meskhetians


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Subject: Fwd: Georgia: President's decree on Meskhetians

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Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>

Fwd: Georgia: President's decree on Meskhetians

-----Original Message-----
From: Paata Zakareishvili <[email protected]>
Date: 1 May 1999 
Meskhetians

Unauthorized translation

Decree #104 
by President of Georgia
"On Creation of the Governmental Commission on Repatriation and
Rehabilitation of the Population Deported in 1940s from Southern
Georgia"
March 14, 1999, Tbilisi

In accordance with Resolution #6279 of July 31, 1944 of the Soviet
Union 's State Committee of Defense, as an act of political
repression, one part of the population was deported from Southern
Georgia, in particular from Samtskhe-Javakheti (Meskheti) region.

The solution of the deported persons' question is a matter of state
importance for independent and democratic Georgia. The restoration of
the independence of Georgia offered better prospects for the solution
of this issue, but the complicated process of the independent state's
creation, armed conflicts instigated from the outside, the internal
political confrontations,  the infringement upon the state's
territorial integrity by separatists, all of which turned about
300,000 Georgian citizens into internally displaced persons, have
aggravated the political, social and economic situation in the
country, and for these reasons the Decree #802 of December 9, 1996 by
the President of Georgia, "On the adoption of the state program on the
solution of legal and social problems of the deported Meskhs
repatriated to Georgia" could not be fully accomplished.

To realize the recommendation (Amendment 6) of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe on the preparation of the legal acts
for rehabilitation, repatriation and integration of the Meskhetian
population deported in 1944  - taking into account the national
interests of Georgia and respecting the universally recognized
standards of international law and in order to resolve the social and
legal problems of the deported and repatriated people:

1. A governmental commission  is to be created and the following
members of Parliament and Government of Georgia  and well-known 
representatives of  civil society are to be invited to participate in
it:

Vazha Lortkipanidze - State Minister of Georgia, Chair of the
Commission

Eldar Shengelaia - Deputy Chair of Parliament of Georgia, Deputy Chair
of the Commission

Zaza Shengelia - Deputy State Minister of Georgia, Deputy Chair of the
Commission

Valeri Vashakidze - Minister of Refugees and Resettlement of Georgia,
Deputy Chair of the Commission

Vladimir Chanturia - Minister of Justice, Deputy Chair of the
Commission

Revaz Adamia - Chair of the Committee on the Defense and Security of
the Parliament of Georgia

Nodar Amaglobeli - Chair of the Committee on Education, Science and
Culture of Parliament of Georgia

Mamuka Areshidze - Chair of Sub Committee on Relations with Caucasian
Nations of Parliament of Georgia

Grigol Baramidze - Representative of President of Georgia to the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region

Rusudan Beridze - Deputy Secretary of the Council of State Security of
Georgia (human rights protection section)

Nino Burjanadze - Chair of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal
issues and Legitimacy of Parliament of Georgia

Tengiz Gazdeliani - Minister of Social Welfare, Trade and Employment
of Georgia

Naira Gelashvili - Director of "Caucasian House", center on cultural
relations with foreign countries, writer

Alexander Gerasimov - Assistant to the  President of Georgia on
international relations

Zurab Gegechkori - Chair of the State Department on Land Management

Archil Gogelia - Chair of TV and Radio Corporation of Georgia

Kakha Targamadze - Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia

Alexander Kartozia - Minister of Education of Georgia

Konstantin Kokoev - Chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Ethnic
Minorities of Parliament of Georgia 

Shota Lomsadze - Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor

Guram Mamulia - Chair of Repatriation Service of the Ministry of
Refugees and Resettlement of Georgia

Irakli Menagarishvili - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Roin Metreveli - Principal of Tbilisi State University

David Onoprishvili - Minister of Finance of Georgia

David Salaridze - Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia

Vakhtang Kutateladze - Minister of State Defense of Georgia 

Tamaz Kipiani - Deputy Head of the State Chancellery of Georgia

Guram Sharadze - Chair of the Committee on Migration and Compatriots'
Affairs  

Rezo Chkheidze - Film director 

Merab Chkhenkeli - Minister of Urbanization and Construction

Badri Khatidze - Head of regional policy and management service of
President of Georgia

Avtandil Jorbenadze - Minister of Public Health of Georgia

2. The governmental commission is to create permanent thematic working
groups  consisting of     representatives of ministries, departments,
non-governmental organizations and experts

3. Within two months the Commission is to generate and submit for the
consideration of the government :

a) drafts of legislative acts to form a legal basis for the gradual
accomplishment of repatriation;
b) short-term and long-term programs for the gradual accomplishment of
repatriation 

4. With the purpose of implementing the repatriation programs, the
Commission must collaborate with international governmental and
nongovernmental organizations.

5. Chair of the Commission (V.Lortkipanidze) submits periodic reports
on the Commission's activities to the  session of the government.  

6. Decree #802 of December 9, 1996 by President of Georgia, "On
adoption of the state program on the solution of legal and social
problems of the deported Meskhs repatriated to Georgia " is void.

E. Shevardnadze

			*		*		*

On April, 15, 1999, the first session of the Governmental Commission
on the population deported from Southern Georgia in the 1940es  took
place under the chairmanship of Vazha Lortkipanidze.

In the course of the session, the Commission considered working
giudelines, selected the most urgent matters that must be addressed 
in the first instance (creation of a legal basis and a database). With
regard to the remaining issues, opinions were divided: some considered
it necessary to adhere to a specific sequence - to begin with the
matters of prime urgency and then move on to the other questions (the
time frame of repatriation, resettlement and adaptation, etc.). Others
preferred to address all issues simultaneously.  The Commission and
its Chair supported the latter option.

During the session, Aleksandra Tevzadze, a leading expert of the
Georgian Parliament was appointed the executive secretary, and the
following major working groups were created:

Group One -  on legal issues:
1 D. Kereselidze
2 N. Gvenetadze
3 I. Molidze
4 A. Papidza
5 P. Zakareishvili
6 G. Mamulia

Group Two - on drafting intergovernmental agreements: 
1 Minister of Foreign Affairs
2 Ministry of Justice
3 G. Mamulia
4 P. Zakareishvili
5 K. Chitaia

Group Three - on collaboration with international experts for social
and economic rehabilitation of the regions of Georgia:

1 Ministry of Economics 
2 B. Khatidze
3 Ministry for Finance

Group IV - on creation of centers for adaptation and integration:

1 Tevzadze
2 IOM
3 UNHCR
4 Ministry of Education
5 Z. Gaiparashvili
6 J. Gelashvili

Group V - on drafting short-term and long-term repatriation projects:

1 Repatriation service
2 IOM
3 UNHCR
4 M. Baratashvili
5 Sh. Tevzadze
6 Ministry of Finance
7 Ministry of Internal Affairs
8 Ministry of Security
9 G. Bolkvadze

Group VI - on drafting social welfare programs:

1 Ministry of social welfare and employment
2 Ministry of Public Health
3 Ministry of Finance

Group VII  - for  the shaping of public opinion:

1 Z. Shengelia
2 G. Ananiashvili
3 P. Zakareishvili
4 L. Nadareishvili
5 P. Iakashvili
6 M. Areshidze
7 E. Batiashvili

Group VIII - on the creation of a database: 

1 K. Baratashvili
2 m. Baratashvili
3 Ministry of Security
4 G. Mamulia

Group IX - on scientific  research: 

1 Sh. Lomsadze
2 E. Batiashvili
3 K. Baratashvili
4 Sh. Kobidze
5 R. Khalilov

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