Emanuel Macron welcomes election of Gocha Lortkipanidze as Hague judge
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Thursday, January 14
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes the election of Gocha Lortkipanidze as a judge of the International Criminal Court with a letter sent to Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili.
In the letter Macron writes that pro-Europe Georgia is considered by France as an important partner, with whom, he wants to deepen relations:
“This is evidenced by the establishment of a bilateral strategic dialogue, which we have established together and has already begun to function and show the first results. In the troubled context of the South Caucasus, the proximity between our countries is of great importance, which was emphasized in the December 12 French-German statement," the French president wrote.
Macron is answering Zurabishvili's question on the candidacy of Gocha Lortkipanidze, the Minister of Justice of Georgia, who was elected a judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The French president noted that in her letter the president of Georgia highlighted Lortkipanidze’s rich professional experience in international law and assistance to victims of war crimes, his excellent professionalism, as well as his impartiality, qualities that are essential to his work in the International Court of Justice.
“Indeed, the Independent Advisory Commission has confirmed that your candidate has the necessary qualifications for the position of a judge of the International Court of Justice, and we also mentioned in an open discussion that Mr. Lortkipanidze was an excellent candidate. That is why I welcome the election of Mr. Lortkipanidze as a judge at the International Criminal Court in New York and wish him success in his duties for the next 9 years. It is particularly important that our countries maintain and strengthen their support for the International Criminal Court, which is a source of peace and stability in the world," wrote Macron.
Gocha Lortkipanidze was elected a judge of the ICC in December 2020. This is the first time that a candidate nominated by Georgia has become a member of the ICC Board. Lortkipanidze will start acting as a judge in a few months. 76 delegates voted for him, nominated by the Eastern European quota. Lortkipanidze will hold a new position in the International Criminal Court for 9 years - until 2030. The new judge of the Hague tribunal will also be able to work in the Georgian government. Recall that he is the only new face in the Georgian government - he replaced Tea Tsulukiani as Minister of Justice, who became a Member of Parliament.
The International Criminal Court is the first permanent international tribunal to hear individual criminal liability for the most serious crimes against humanity: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. The court was established in 1998 on the basis of the Rome Statute, which entered into force in 2002. By 2020, the Rome Statute had been ratified by 123 states. Georgia acceded to the Rome Statute on September 5, 2003.
