The Foreign Relations Committee held a first reading, under expedited procedure, of the draft amendments to the Law of Georgia on the Diplomatic Service. The proposal was presented by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khatuna Totladze.

As she explained, several provisions of the current law are outdated and no longer aligned with present-day diplomatic challenges. The amendments aim to modernize and refine the law in line with current realities.

One of the key changes is the extension of the permissible duration for diplomatic rotation. Under the new provisions, rotation periods for both diplomatic and administrative-technical staff may be extended by up to one additional year: "This amendment responds to practical needs frequently, due to the specifics of the host country and the ongoing diplomatic agenda, an extension of more than six months becomes necessary for the official on long-term assignment".

In addition, technical revisions are being made to the provisions regulating the procedures for long-term secondments and recalls. These will now be governed in greater detail by the regulation on the diplomatic service, as approved by a ministerial order. To avoid duplication, relevant norms will be removed from the main body of the law.

Totladze highlighted that while the current law already mandates political neutrality and the obligation to promote Georgia’s image as a democratic state, it has become necessary to further specify these duties and establish preventative mechanisms to uphold them.

The draft law creates a legal basis for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to adopt a normative act detailing the Code of Ethics and Conduct, which will apply to staff both at the Ministry`s central office and at Georgia`s diplomatic and consular missions abroad.

Additional updates reflect recent reforms to the Law on Public Service. These include adjustments to provisions defining the scope of those employed under administrative contracts and the periodicity of performance evaluations for diplomatic staff.

The bill also introduces the concept of a non-resident ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. Under this framework, the ambassador`s place of residence may, by ministerial decision, be either the host country or Tbilisi - while their official diplomatic accreditation remains tied to the receiving state.

"The so-called `flying ambassador` model is an established and widely practiced institution in many countries. We have decided to formally introduce this mechanism in Georgia as well", - added Khatuna Totladze.