The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs - Aleksandre Darakhvelidze took part in the opening of the international conference organized within the framework of the EU-funded project "Prometheus" (II Phase) - “Migration from Georgia to Europe and the Schengen Area - Multi-sectoral Cooperation to Counter Irregular Migration, Migration-Related Crime and to Better Regulate Health-Driven Migration”.
In his welcoming remarks, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze emphasized the significance of the visa-free regime with the EU/Schengen countries in the process of European integration and the measures implemented by the Ministry to address illegal migration and unwarranted asylum claims.
The event was also attended by heads of different departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ambassador of France to Georgia - Sheraz Gasri, the chief of mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in Georgia - Sanja Celebic Lukovac, the Ambassadors of the EU Member States in Georgia, the UN resident coordinator, representatives of the EU Delegation, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and relevant agencies of Georgia.
The thematic panels of the event focused on the cooperation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the agencies of partner countries, as well as EUROPOL and FRONTEX in the area of border management and fighting organized crime, which plays an essential role in the smooth implementation of the visa-free regime.
Representatives of relevant agencies from France, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as international organizations, participated in the two-day international conference. The conference aimed to introduce the results of the measures taken to ensure the effective management of migration processes between Georgia and the European Union and develop recommendations for future steps.
The "Prometheus II" project, which is implemented by the Ministry of Interior of France since 2022 in close cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, aims to strengthen the capabilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the areas of border and migration management, as well as the fight against organized crime.
