The Chairman of the City Council of Telavi Municipality, Tengiz Mtvarelishvili, participated in the session of the Political Council of the European Platform for the Development of Local and Regional Governments (PLATFORMA).
The event, held in Brussels, featured high-level panel discussions. During these discussions, the chairman spoke about the achievements and challenges in Georgia’s European integration process.
According to Tengiz Mtvarelishvili, the central government collaborates with local governments to fulfil the European Union’s requirements. However, he emphasized that achieving this goal necessitates specific preliminary tools.
The council chairman emphasized the importance of programs managed by local and international organizations. According to his definition, these programs enable candidate states to receive funding for implementing essential political, institutional, social, and economic reforms.
Today, the Georgian delegate called on his colleagues to strengthen the component of sustainable development goals in the programming of European projects. He also informed the audience about the alarming statistics of recent years caused by COVID-19, the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, and environmental problems, underlining the pressing need for action.
“There is no more time to lose. We need a better representation of the localization of the SDGs and the global agenda in EU programs that focus on decentralized cooperation and local government. Local and regional governments need support, both financially and in the decision-making process, to implement effective change. Moreover, close partnerships and cooperation between local and federal governments, international frameworks, the sharing of positive learning and experiences at the municipal level, leadership, and financial support from international organizations should become the key to success in achieving the SDG goals,” said Tengiz Mtvarelishvili.
The Chairman of the City Council reviewed the measures implemented in Telavi municipality toward achieving sustainable development goals. He invited his colleagues from the meeting of the Political Council of the European Platform for the Development of Local and Regional Governments (PLATFORMA) to visit Georgia and collaborate on overcoming existing challenges and achieving shared objectives.
Levan Abashidze, a member of PLATFORMA and Deputy of Tbilisi Municipality Council, as well as representatives from the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR): Nino Rukhadze, Vice President of CEMR and Executive Director of NALAG, and Ketevan Khomeriki, Deputy of Ozurgeti Municipality Council, attended the meeting.

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