Rati Bregadze and Deputy Minister of Justice, Buba Lomuashvili thanked the employees of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Enforcement of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation of the Ministry of Justice for their service and discussed with them the already implemented and ongoing projects.

At the event, Head of the Agency, Lado Kheladze presented the priorities of the agency and the main directions of the agency's development, which envisions the introduction of technological innovations, strengthening the direction of crime prevention, promotion of the development of human resources, infrastructural renewal and providing the beneficiaries with the necessary services.

In the last two years, the Agency developed and introduced the first Georgian innovative device Probbox - an electronic service system for probationers; strengthened human resources; developed code of ethics for probation officers; Launched a new rehabilitation program was in the direction of re-socialisation and rehabilitation of convicts and ex-prisoners; created mobile and 24-hour electronic monitoring groups for effective enforcement of house arrest; Four new programs in the direction of rehabilitation and re-socialisation of convicts and ex-prisoners are underway, aimed at promotion of employment of the beneficiaries.

Working has begun on the project of the Probation Code, which will regulate the directions of referral of juveniles, restorative justice, rehabilitation and re-socialisation, and probation. Soon, the Probation Officer Institute will be launched, which will promote the rehabilitation of convicts and their integration into society.

At the event, the Minister of Justice and the Deputy Curator of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Non-custodial Sentences and Probation, Buba Lomuashvili, thanked and awarded the employees of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Non-custodial Sentences and Probation for their conscientious service and meticulous and exemplary performance of assigned functions, and for their support and fruitful cooperation. In addition, they also thanked the representatives of partner international organisations. At the end of the event, the animated video "The Story of Artist Kato" created by the beneficiaries of the Juvenile Referral Center was shown.

Deputy Ministers of Justice, representatives of legislative, executive, partner local and international organisations also participated in the event.

The First Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia and the Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan spoke today about the prospects for the development of sectoral cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting of Tamar Tkeshelashvili and Khudoior Meliev was held within the framework of the visit of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, to the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili.

The First Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia introduced to her colleagues the successful reforms implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice and the main areas of the agency's activities. Special attention was paid to the innovative projects introduced to provide access to services - the Mobile Public Service Hall and the opening of branches of the Public Service Hall in penitentiary institutions, which is a Georgian innovation.

Within the framework of the visit of the delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Irakli Gharibashvili and Abdulla Aripov signed the 2023-2024 action plan of joint practical measures for the development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, who is on an official visit to the Prime Minister of Georgia, was hosted by Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze today at the Central Public Service Hall in Tbilisi. The Minister of Justice of Georgia shared with the state delegation of Uzbekistan the Georgian experience of providing services.

The delegation of Uzbekistan also got acquainted with the Georgian innovation of the Ministry of Justice - the Public Service Hall in penitentiary institutions.

Rati Bregadze drew attention to the unprecedentedly high rate of availability of state services, including such innovative Georgian project as the Mobile Public Service Hall, which already covers the whole territory of Georgia.

The Minister of Justice also introduced to the delegation of Uzbekistan one of the successful reforms in the direction of execution of punishment in Georgia - Probbox, which is the first technological device in Europe, in which all the services are integrated, for the use of which probationers had to come to the probation offices outside the prison.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Erekle Gvinianidze and Chairperson of the Public Service Hall, Lasha Lobjanidze also attended the meeting with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan.

The document was signed by the Ministers of Justice of the two countries, Rati Bregadze and Judit Varga. The joint declaration is a logical continuation of the close and rapid cooperation between the Ministers of Justice of Georgia and Hungary, which began in 2021 within the framework of the Ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe held in Venice. The purpose of the declaration is to share knowledge, experience and best practices on specific thematic issues in the field of justice between the two states, as well as to prepare for the interstate meeting planned for October of this year.

It should be noted that partnership relations and cooperation between Georgia and Hungary are being successfully carried out by the initiative and efforts of the heads of government of the two countries. Before signing the document, Rati Bregadze and Judit Varga held a meeting where they discussed the importance of Georgia's integration into the European Union and the support of partner states in this process.

The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Ministers of Justice of Georgia, Heads of the Ministry of Justice of Hungary, Ambassador of Hungary to Georgia, Anna Siko.

Within the framework of the meeting between Minister of Justice of Georgia, Rati Bregadze and Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Maria Burich, Georgia's progress in the areas of human rights protection and strengthening of the rule of law was noted, which is reflected in the conclusions and reports of the bodies of the Council of Europe.

The conversation touched upon the successful reforms carried out in the penitentiary system, as a result of which the practice of torture and inhuman treatment has been eliminated in prisons, which, until 2012, was repeatedly criticized by the Strasbourg Court and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) of the Council of Europe; Prisoners have the opportunity to get higher education and acquire professions; have complete medical services; participate in sports competitions; can use the services of the Public Service Hall in penitentiary institutions; Get employed and have their own income.

The legislative changes implemented in 2022 were positively evaluated, as a result of which the Georgian courts will proactively use the precedents of the ECHR, and thus the Georgian justice system will be even closer to the standards of human rights protection established by the European Court. In addition, attention was focused on the importance of enforcing the interstate disputes won by Georgia against Russia, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe promised full support to Georgia in this process.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe, Tamar Taliashvili also attended the meeting.

The Ministry of Justice will continue its close cooperation with European structures in the future in order to strengthen human rights and strengthen the rule of law.