Minister of Justice of Georgia Paata Salia met with the President of the International Union of Bailiffs, Mark Schmitz, to discuss prospects for future cooperation.

During the meeting, the Minister emphasized the important role of the National Bureau of Enforcement in strengthening the rule of law, protecting human rights, and ensuring the delivery of effective and accessible public services. Paata Salia noted that the Bureau, which is responsible for the enforcement of court decisions, operates in accordance with key principles such as legality, proportionality, balance of the parties’ interests, transparency, and the strengthening of public trust.

The parties reaffirmed their readiness to further deepen cooperation.

The meeting was held within the framework of the International Conference of Bailiffs and was attended by First Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili, Chairman of the National Bureau of Enforcement Lasha Modzgvrishvili, and Head of the Ministry’s Department of International Relations and Legal Cooperation Ketevan Sarajishvili.

During a meeting with the Deputy Director General for Operations of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Minister of Justice Giorgi Dgebuadze noted that the IOM has consistently been a reliable partner of Georgia in addressing migration and combating trafficking.

Giorgi Dgebuadze emphasized the importance of coordinated approaches to migration management, as well as the need to balance global principles with national context when responding to emerging challenges.

The parties highlighted that Georgia adopted a comprehensive Migration Strategy for 2021–2030 in 2020. In 2025, the country also carried out a comprehensive reform of its migration and asylum system through the adoption of a large-scale legislative package aimed at strengthening national migration and asylum mechanisms.

The Georgian delegation in New York is led by Deputy Minister of Justice Giorgi Dgebuadze. The delegation includes deputy ministers from the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Protection, as well as representatives of various government agencies.

The international conference “Transformation of the Role of Bailiffs in the Modern Justice System” is being held in Georgia, organized by the National Bureau of Enforcement of the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the International Union of Bailiffs (UIHJ).

The conference was opened by Minister of Justice Paata Salia, who highlighted the importance of the effective enforcement of court decisions and emphasized the growing role of digital transformation in strengthening the justice system. He informed delegates about the automated enforcement systems introduced in Georgia, including the “electronic assistant,” and noted that the agency is currently developing a mobile application aimed at making enforcement services more accessible to citizens.

Participants were also welcomed by Mark Schmitz, President of the International Union of Bailiffs (UIHJ), and Lasha Modzgvrishvili, Chairman of the National Bureau of Enforcement.

The conference aims to examine ongoing reforms and contemporary challenges in the enforcement system in the context of rapid technological development, encourage professional dialogue, and facilitate the exchange of international best practices. More than 100 delegates from over 30 countries are participating in the event, including bailiffs, representatives of public and private enforcement chambers, and experts from international organizations.

As part of the conference, the Minister of Justice is also scheduled to meet with the President of the International Union of Bailiffs.

Georgia, a member of the International Union of Bailiffs (UIHJ), is hosting the international conference for the second time. The previous event took place in Batumi in 2022.

Minister of Justice Paata Salia met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajer, to discuss cooperation in the fields of innovation and digital governance. The parties explored opportunities for further strengthening bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Paata Salia presented Georgia’s ongoing reforms. He highlighted the Ministry of Justice’s introduction of an innovative Smart Contract service, which enables Georgian citizens to conduct real estate transactions remotely from anywhere in the world. The service incorporates secure digital signatures, integrated mortgage solutions, payment processing, and electronic title registration. Plans are underway to expand the platform to include remote business registration and additional advanced digital services.

The parties also recalled the productive visit conducted last fall, as well as the memorandum signed earlier this year with PRYPCO Technologies. The memorandum provides for cooperation in implementing advanced technologies in the real estate sector, including real estate tokenization—the conversion of physical assets into digital units.

The meeting was attended by First Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili and Head of the Department of International Relations and Legal Cooperation Ketevan Sarajishvili.

Deputy Minister of Justice Tamar Zodelava met with representatives of the World Bank during her working visit to the United States. The meeting focused on key areas of cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the World Bank, including ongoing projects, achieved progress, and prospects for future collaboration.

Together with a representative of the National Agency of Public Registry, the Deputy Minister reviewed the progress and future plans of the GRAIL project. Discussions highlighted the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), improvements in land administration services, and the continued strengthening of digital governance systems.

The parties emphasized the strategic importance of these initiatives, assessed the results achieved to date, and outlined next steps.

The meeting also explored opportunities to share Georgia’s experience internationally, particularly in land reform and the development of spatial data systems. Special attention was given to the potential for applying Georgian models in other countries and expanding technical cooperation.

A regular working meeting of experts was held at the Ministry of Justice within the framework of the Georgia–Switzerland partnership on migration.

The meeting was opened by Deputy Minister of Justice Giorgi Dgebuadze, who highlighted the progress achieved in migration management. He also emphasized the importance of close cooperation with partner countries in preventing illegal migration, addressing the misuse of asylum procedures, and strengthening overall migration governance.

During the meeting, Georgian and Swiss experts discussed current migration challenges, explored specific proposals to enhance cooperation, and outlined future plans.

Under the memorandum signed between the two countries, expert-level meetings on migration have been held regularly since 2022. The fourth meeting this year brought together representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and Internal Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Protection, and the Secretariat of the State Commission on Migration Issues.

Deputy Minister of Justice Giorgi Dgebuadze held a meeting with Regional Director of the Stirling Foundation for the Middle East and Caucasus, Brittney Stirling.

During the meeting, the parties discussed ongoing cooperation and future plans, with particular emphasis on the development of joint institutional and academic initiatives.

Special attention was given to the implementation of joint educational projects between the LEPL Training Center of Justice of the Ministry of Justice and Brigham Young University (Utah), planned within the framework of the partnership with the Stirling Foundation.

The meeting was also attended by Director of the Training Center of Justice, Gvantsa Varamashvili.

The exhibition “Patriarch Ilia II”, dedicated to the lifelong spiritual, public, and national service of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia, Ilia II, opened today at the exhibition pavilion of the National Archives of Georgia. The event was inaugurated by the Minister of Justice of Georgia, Paata Salia.

The exhibition highlights the Patriarch’s multifaceted contributions, including the revival of the Church, the development of theological education, as well as his cultural, educational, and public activities.

Among the items on display are two vestments loaned by the Patriarchate of Georgia for the duration of the exhibition. One was worn by Ilia II on the day of his enthronement, December 25, 1977. The other is the patriarchal mantle he wore during divine services throughout his life. On the opening day, a cross associated with the Patriarchs of Georgia—Ephraim II and Ilia II—was also exhibited.

A key focus of the exhibition is the longstanding relationship between the National Archives of Georgia and the Patriarch. Ilia II visited the Archives on three occasions. With his blessing, one of Georgia’s most significant manuscripts—the 12th-century Anchi Gospel—was restored in 2006. This connection reflects his deep commitment to the preservation and study of the nation’s cultural heritage.

The exhibition features materials from the collections of the National Archives as well as private family archives. It also showcases works by renowned Georgian photographers, including Ramaz Natsvlishvili, Yuri Mechitov, Goga Chanadiri, Davit Khizanishvili, Luarsab Togonidze, Gigla Benashvili, Badri and Irakli Vadachkoria, Beso Guliashvili, Giorgi Abdaladze, and Giorgi Meurmishvili. Some of the photographs are being presented to the public for the first time.

The exhibition aims to once again underscore the Patriarch’s significant role in the spiritual, cultural, and public life of Georgia.

Speakers at the opening included the Director General of the National Archives, Teona Iashvili, and historian Sergo Vardosanidze, who reflected on the Patriarch’s legacy and the significance of the exhibition. The event was attended by Deputy Ministers of Justice, representatives of educational and cultural institutions, and other invited guests. Hymns were performed by the choir of the Patriarch’s godchildren.

The exhibition will remain open at the National Archives pavilion until the end of May.

Admission to the exhibition is free.