The Executive Director of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia and the Vice-President of The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Nino Rukhadze, participated in the Eastern Partnership Cluster meeting organized by the European Platform of Local and Regional Governments for Development (PLATFORMA). The meeting was devoted to discussing the role of local democracy and the need to develop capacities in Georgia and Moldova in the process of joining the European Union.

The session included a discussion format, and representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and local elected officials from Georgia and Moldova were involved. Among them were the chairman of Telavi Municipality’s City Council, Tengiz Mtvarelishvili, and the deputy chairman of the “Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia” faction of Tbilisi Municipality, Levan Abashidze.

The speakers expressed gratitude to the organizers for convening the meeting and emphasized that such dialogues assume particular significance alongside the granting of EU candidate status. They highlighted that these exchanges foster the sharing of ideas and the strengthening of relations between the European and local levels.

In her speech, Nino Rukhadze underscored the crucial role of self-governing entities on the path to European integration. She noted that municipalities implement 70% of EU legislation, which directly positions local authorities as natural allies of the European Union. According to her explanation, to achieve the goal, it is necessary to create a favourable environment. This entails providing financial assistance to municipalities, conducting preliminary studies of their needs, and promoting the active involvement of their representatives in negotiations.

Tengiz Mtvarelishvili spoke about the necessity of access to existing instruments, including financing, provided by the European Union for candidate countries.

According to the Chairman of the Telavi City Council, specific guidelines are necessary for more frequent access to these tools to align the country’s political, institutional, social, and economic reforms with European Union standards. He explained that this could be achieved through programs managed by local or international organizations.

In his speech, Levan Abashidze focused on the role of local government and local politics in fulfilling EU requirements. As the representative of the Tbilisi City Council pointed out, to effectively conduct the Europeanization process, it is necessary to promote the enhancement of management capabilities of municipalities. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of intensive mutual cooperation among the trio of associated partners and other EU member states. This, along with the sharing of experience, will serve as a facilitating mechanism in increasing the visibility of ongoing reforms. After the discussions, the participants of the meeting deliberated on future plans.

The event was chaired by PLATFORMA’s adviser on the Eastern Partnership and Geographic, Bella Tskhelishvili, who is also the Vice-Mayor of Lithuania’s Ioniski District Municipality and a representative of Lithuania’s Association of Local Authorities, Vaida Aleknaviciene.

The meeting was also attended by Tatiana Bokuchava, the Deputy Executive Director of NALAG, and Mariam Jincharadze, the association’s International Projects Development Manager.