JOINT VISIT OF CAUCASIAN MPS TO GERMANY
The Messenger
Dec 9 2008
Georgia
Georgian, Armenian and Azeri MPs undertook a 5 day visit to Germany
on November 9-14. This informational visit was held as part of the
German Technical Cooperation project "Legal and Justice Reforms in the
South Caucasus" at the invitation of the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development. The Chairman of the Parliamentary
Committee on European Integration David Darchiashvili and the Vice
Chairman of the Legal Committee Akaki Minashvili participated in the
visit from the Georgian side. The Chairmen of the Armenian and Azeri
Parliamentary Legal Committees, David Harutyunyan and Ali Huseynov,
represented Armenia and Azerbaijan in Germany.
The aim of the visit was to inform MPs of the experience of the
German Parliament and share views on the important issues of legal and
judicial reforms in the South Caucasus. The principles of working of
the Bundesrat and Bundestag and the role of the Federal President’s
administration in the lawmaking process were discussed, among
other things, during the meetings held in the Federal Presidential
Administration, the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
At a meeting of the German-South Caucasus Parliamentary group in the
Bundestag the participants spoke about the relations of the German
Federation with the South Caucasus countries. At the round table
meeting held at the Berlin representation of GTZ, the participants
of the visit together with the Chairman of the German Judges’ Union
and the Head of the Berlin Advocates’ Union talked about the practice
of involving interest groups in the lawmaking process in Germany and
the South Caucasus countries. During the same sorts of meetings the
delegation members discussed the demands of the European Neighbourhood
Policy with representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The participants also met the Deputy Minister for Economic Cooperation
and Development Erich Stather. The parties spoke about cooperation
between the Federal Government and the South Caucasus Countries
on the issue of promoting the rule of law and also discussed joint
plans for the future. During the visit the participants expressed a
willingness to deepen their cooperation in a regional format. Most of
all this referred to the composition of explanatory notes on draft
laws, the practice of publishing draft laws and sharing experience
in the involvement of interest groups in the lawmaking process.
The German Technical Cooperation project "Legal and Justice Reforms
in the South Caucasus" has been operating in the region since 2002 as
part of the Caucasus initiative of the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development, which aims to create economic
and democratic stabilization in the Caucasus. Joint informational
visits, seminars and round tables are held within framework of
this project, which spreads throughout the whole South Caucasus
region. Important judicial issues are being discussed at these
meetings with representatives of all three countries of the South
Caucasus. One of the most important objectives of the project is to
promote professional dialogue and raise the legal knowledge of the
population in the region.
As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development
with worldwide operations, the federally-owned Deutsche Gesellschaft
fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH supports the German Government
in achieving its development policy objectives. It provides viable,
forward-looking solutions for political, economic, ecological and
social development in a globalised world. Working under difficult
conditions, GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its
corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a
sustainable basis.