Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili held a working meeting Vakhtang Gomelauri, Minister of Internal Affairs, and his Deputy Ministers. The meeting was also attended by Chief of Border Police Nikoloz Sharadze and Head of the Emergency Management Service Teimuraz Mghebrishvili.

At the meeting, the ongoing reforms of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and projects planned for 2023 were discussed. The conversation also involved the implementation dynamic of the Development Strategy-Vision 2030 of Georgia.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister of Internal Affairs briefed the Head of Government on the outcomes of the police’s fight against crime, also on statistics on registered crime. As Vakhtang Gomelauri pointed out, the clearance rate is unprecedentedly high and exceeds 62%, and the number of crimes-including grave offenses and major felonies-is down by 3.39%.

The Minister of Internal Affairs provided the Head of Government with detailed information on all ongoing and planned projects. According to Vakhtang Gomelauri, similar to the last year, the criminal police reform continues actively this year as well, and so do the fight against organized crime, the expansion of the network of Georgia’s police attachés, and the initiation of road traffic safety and other types of legislative amendments, also the implementation of infrastructural projects, enhancement of the technical capacities of the Ministry’s structural units, and upgrading of police services.

Under the criminal police reform, with a view to improving public safety and citizen protection, the Ministry continues strengthening community-oriented police activities. In 2022, the Institute of Community Officers encompassed every district in Tbilisi. After Tbilisi, Rustavi became the first city where community officers will commence to perform their duties in a matter of days. The reform continues, and community officers will gradually start operating in every big city of Georgia.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs continues active work on the introduction of the analysis-based policing concept. Within the framework of the concept, the Ministry’s territorial units throughout the country have already been staffed with analysts. In parallel, the development of relevant software is in full swing. A working group has been created, and it has developed a four-year analysis-based strategy for the development of police work. Based on this strategy, the 2023-2025 Action Plan will be approved in the near future.

In terms of the fight against organized crime, continuous operative-search and investigative measures are carried out, international police cooperation is maintained, and operative and tactical analyses are conducted.

As the Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized, this year the Ministry will continue working on such priority directions as the protection of human rights, emergency and disaster management, border management, and migration.

At the meeting between the Prime Minister and the senior managers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, special attention was paid to the increased budget parameters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This year, the budget of the Ministry of Internal Affairs exceeds 1 billion GEL-the bulk of the budget’s increased parameters encompasses a 20% raise for the employees, also being earmarked for the development of the Ministry’s infrastructural projects and social programs.

The Minister thanked the Head of Government for supporting the improvement of the working conditions and social guarantees for police officers.

At the meeting, the Police Town construction project was also discussed. In coordination with the Government, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already started working on the construction design of a residential complex with 1,000 apartments for police force members. The project is advancing to an active phase, and the increased budget assets have been allocated for this direction as well.

As the Minister underlined, in order to develop the Ministry’s infrastructure-in 2023, similar to previous years-it is planned to renovate police facilities, build and renovate police bases, and upgrade the weapons and material/technical framework.

At the meeting with the Prime Minister, Head of the Emergency Management Service Teimuraz Mghebrishvili spoke about measures planned to be taken this year in order to enhance the capacities of firefighters/rescuers and upgrade equipment and gear. The Head of the Emergency Management Service also introduced the Head of Government to ongoing infrastructural projects, including one for upgrading the vehicle fleet, which envisages the procurement of ten special off-road firefighting/rescue vehicles at the initial stage.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili thanked Georgian firefighters/rescuers who are presently in the Republic of Turkey, actively engaged in the efforts toward eliminating the consequences of the recent earthquake, and carrying out continuous rescue activities in the disaster zone.

At the working meeting, Chief of Border Police Nikoloz Sharadze underscored that measures toward controlling the country’s national borders remain a priority for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, legislation is constantly upgraded in this direction. This year, the development of border sector infrastructure will continue, and so will upgrading of the equipment and gear of border guards.

At the meeting, special attention was also paid to the topic of procuring three helicopters equipped with modern technology and special features. In coordination with the Government of Georgia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has signed an agreement with French Airbus Helicopters to procure three new helicopters to be handed over to the Border Police.

The Head of Border Police underlined that strengthening the Border Police continues not only in terms of aviation, but also toward coastal protection. Last year, the North Atlantic Council-after the successful completion of NATO’s four-level evaluation by the tactical law-enforcement units of the Coast Guard of the Border Police-made a positive decision on recognizing Georgia as Operational Partner under Sea Guardian, an operation in the Mediterranean Sea, which marks a new stage in deepening the practical cooperation between the command of the NATO Naval Forces and the Coast Guard of the Border Police.

It was noted at the meeting that active cooperation toward the Ministry’s institutional development continues with donor and partner countries and organizations. At the meeting’s conclusion, it was emphasized that both the implementation of infrastructural projects and putting in place decent conditions for police officers and social guarantees for every employee of the Ministry are priorities toward the streamlined functioning of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ensuring law and order and maintaining public safety in the country.