Joint visit of Caucasian MPs to Germany

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.