Tbilisi is hosting the annual conference of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), bringing together more than 100 delegates from 50 countries.

The conference is organized by the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA). Paata Salia, Minister of Justice of Georgia, addressed the participants and congratulated the Agency on a major international achievement — its presidency of ICPEN for 2026–2027. According to the Minister, Georgia’s ICPEN presidency is not only an achievement for the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency, but also an international recognition of the trust placed in Georgia and the progress the country has made in protecting consumer rights.

Paata Salia emphasized the importance of consumer protection for the development of the modern economy. He noted that strong consumers and strong businesses are not competitors; on the contrary, protecting consumers strengthens trust, trust promotes healthy competition, and strong competition drives investment and sustainable economic development.

“One of the key priorities of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia is to provide effective, fast and reliable public services. Our approach is simple: citizens should not have to adapt to the state system; the state system should adapt to citizens. We apply the same principle in our work with businesses. Today, entrepreneurs can access the services of a personal ‘Business Assistant’ at Public Service Halls, carry out important transactions more easily through ‘Smart Contract’, and make use of enforcement and notarial mediation services. Nearly 500 Public Service Hall services are now available across Georgia, while the customer satisfaction rate stands at 95%. For us, this is more than just a statistic — it represents citizens’ trust and, at the same time, a great responsibility.

“At the same time, we continue to develop digital services and new mechanisms for digital identification so that we can offer citizens and businesses services that are even simpler, faster and more secure. That is why, for us, fair competition and consumer protection are not merely legal principles — they are essential conditions for building a modern, inclusive and citizen-centered state,” Paata Salia said.

The ICPEN annual conference brings together representatives of executive authorities and consumer protection agencies, international organizations and experts in the field. The conference provides a platform for sharing international experience, discussing challenges in consumer protection and strengthening cooperation.

As part of his official visit to the Republic of Korea, Georgian Justice Minister Paata Salia, together with a delegation, visited the Digital Government Cooperation Center. Members of the Georgian delegation were briefed on Korea’s experience in digital governance, the provision of electronic government services, and the implementation of modern technologies.

The Republic of Korea is one of the world’s leading countries in the field of digital governance. During the visit, particular attention was paid to technological solutions that make government services faster, simpler, and more accessible to citizens.

“The experience shared with us by our Korean partners was very impressive. It is particularly important that our cooperation is focused on achieving concrete results. In the near future, a Digital Governance Cooperation Center will be established in Georgia, providing Georgian and Korean experts with an opportunity to jointly develop and implement new approaches and innovative projects,” said Tamar Zodelava, Deputy Minister of Justice.

The Ministry of Justice of Georgia and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding providing for the establishment of a Digital Governance Cooperation Center in Georgia.

The Center will serve as a platform for practical cooperation between the two countries. Key areas of joint work will include the development of a virtual assistant, digital identity, the integration of artificial intelligence into government services, and other modern digital solutions.

“Meetings with our Korean colleagues have highlighted several areas in which cooperation is particularly important for us. These include a virtual assistant, digital identity, and the integration of artificial intelligence into government services. The introduction of these technologies will enable us to provide citizens with government services even more quickly, simply, and efficiently,” said Sandro Tsirekidze, Chairman of the Digital Governance Agency.

The Georgian delegation accompanying Justice Minister Paata Salia includes First Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamasvhili, Deputy Minister Tamar Zodelava, and Chairman of the Digital Governance Agency Sandro Tsirekidze.

As part of his visit to the Republic of Korea, Georgian Minister of Justice Paata Salia met with Yun Ho-jun, Minister of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea. During the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities to further strengthen cooperation in digital development.

Minister Salia emphasized the importance of the partnership between Georgia and the Republic of Korea, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence, innovative technologies, electronic services, and digital governance.

“We are particularly interested in the concept of democratic governance based on artificial intelligence. The central idea behind this approach is that AI should not merely serve as a technological tool, but should be used to expand access to public services and enable the state to respond more quickly and effectively to citizens’ needs,” said the Minister of Justice of Georgia.

Paata Salia also highlighted Georgia’s significant progress in recent years in the areas of digital governance, electronic services, cybersecurity, and information security.

According to Yun Ho-jun, Minister of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea, cooperation between the two countries will bring significant benefits to every citizen of Georgia:

“We had a very productive meeting with Georgian Minister of Justice Paata Salia. We had an excellent discussion on how to deepen digital cooperation between our two countries and between our respective ministries, particularly in accelerating digital development and promoting the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation.

The memorandum provides for the establishment of a Digital Governance Cooperation Center, which will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the two countries and support the organization of joint working sessions, seminars, and forums. The Center also has the potential to serve as a regional hub for developing and implementing innovative approaches to digital governance.

Under the memorandum, the two sides also plan to further develop Georgia’s unified electronic services portal, my.gov.ge.

In early October, Georgia, together with its Korean partners, will host a high-level workshop on artificial intelligence.

The meeting was also attended by First Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamasvhili; Deputy Minister Tamar Zodelava; Sandro Tsirekidze, Chairman of the LEPL Digital Governance Agency; and Mikheil Tigishvili, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Republic of Korea.

A delegation from Japan’s Digital Agency, led by Hideato Kawasaki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Digital Transformation of Japan, visited Georgia and held a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

Deputy Ministers of Justice Lana Morgoshia and Tamar Zodelava briefed the Japanese delegation on the reforms implemented by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia to improve access to and digitalization of public services. The discussions also focused on the Ministry’s priorities and major recent developments in the delivery and development of state services in Georgia.

The meeting highlighted that, across the country, citizens have access to 127 Public Service Halls offering user-oriented public and private services. To help overcome geographical barriers, 20 Mobile Public Service Halls serve residents in 90 villages. Services are also available at Public Service Halls operating within penitentiary institutions. More than 400 public and private services can be accessed through the unified electronic services portal, MY.GOV.GE. Georgia has also introduced the “Smart Contract”, a remote mechanism for registering private property rights with the support of artificial intelligence.

Particular attention was paid to Georgia’s systematic land registration reform, which has achieved international recognition. According to the World Bank, Georgia’s model of systematic land registration is exemplary on a global scale, and the National Agency of Public Registry has significant potential to provide expert support to other countries. As part of the reform, the National Agency of Public Registry carried out surveying works and registered citizens’ ownership rights to land plots free of charge across 59 municipalities throughout Georgia.

The meeting was attended by Ketevan Sarajishvili, Head of the Department of International Relations and Legal Cooperation of the Ministry of Justice; Vakhtang Zhvania, Chairperson of the Public Service Hall; Rusudan Kokhodze, Chairperson of the State Services Development Agency; and Sandro Tsirekidze, Chairperson of the Digital Governance Agency.

Minister of Justice Paata Salia, together with Deputy Minister Lana Morgoshia, met with the Chairperson and members of the Board of the Notaries Chamber.

One of the key issues discussed during the working meeting was the upcoming election of the Notaries Chamber Board. The participants discussed election-related matters, as well as their vision for the future development of the notarial sector.

The meeting also covered ongoing projects aimed at the digital development of the notarial sector, along with future plans and initiatives.

Giorgi Sajaia has been appointed Head of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Non-Custodial Sentences and Probation of the Ministry of Justice.

Minister of Justice Paata Salia introduced the newly appointed Head of the Agency to its employees.

Paata Salia wished Giorgi Sajaia success in his new position and thanked the former Head of the Agency, Nika Tskharashvili, for his work and fruitful cooperation.

Giorgi Sajaia has extensive experience working at the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Non-Custodial Sentences and Probation. He has held several managerial positions within the Agency and, prior to his appointment as its Head, worked at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.

The Minister of Justice of Georgia, Paata Salia, together with President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, and other members of the executive and legislative branches, visited the Mukhatgverdi Brothers’ Cemetery to pay tribute to the memory of the heroes who lost their lives in the Russia-Georgia War.

Eighteen years have passed since Russia’s military intervention in Georgia. The Ministry of Justice continues to defend Georgia’s interests before international courts and is working to strengthen the legal basis for the country’s further de-occupation.

In this regard:

Two interstate cases against Russia, as well as approximately 3,300 individual applications concerning the August 2008 war, lodged with the European Court of Human Rights by residents of the Tskhinvali region in coordination with Russia, have been successfully concluded in Georgia’s favor. As a result, Russia was held responsible for numerous violations of human rights committed during the 2008 war and the subsequent occupation;

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has completed its investigation into the Russia-Georgia War. The Court has issued arrest warrants for three individuals accused of committing crimes against the Georgian population.

Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia Tamar Zodelava is participating in thematic sessions and discussions held as part of the 16th Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).

As part of the session, Georgia expressed its support for the further development of the Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA), as well as the establishment of an Effective Land Administration Hub. The initiative aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices among countries and contribute to strengthening land administration systems worldwide.

Drawing on its substantial experience and expertise in land administration and geospatial information management, Georgia also expressed its readiness to join the newly established UN Expert Group on Land Administration and Management (EG-LAM). The group contributes to the development of land administration policies, key approaches, and global development priorities.

Georgia’s participation in the group will provide an opportunity to share the country’s experience and expertise in support of the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the development of the global agenda in the field.

Georgia’s participation in the 16th Session of UN-GGIM further underscores the country’s growing contribution to international efforts in land administration and geospatial information management. It also strengthens opportunities for sharing Georgia’s expertise internationally and deepening cooperation in these areas.