GEORGIA COULD learn lessons from the Irish peace process, according to the Caucasian state’s deputy foreign minister, Sergi Kapanadze, speaking in Dublin.
“One thing that we can learn from Ireland is its experience with conflict-resolution in Northern Ireland,” he said. “The conflict we have is different, obviously, but there are a number of aspects that can be shared and can be useful to us.”
This year Ireland is chairing the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is heavily involved in efforts to resolve the continuing conflict between Georgia and its neighbour, Russia.
Georgia is to send a delegation to a conference on the Northern Ireland peace process organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin Castle in April as part of the programme for Ireland’s chairmanship of the OSCE.
Mr Kapanadze met Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton in Dublin yesterday, primarily to discuss OSCE matters as well as Georgia’s relations with Russia.
“We expressed our gratitude to Ireland for supporting our territorial integrity and our aspirations to join the European Union,” said Mr Kapanadze.
Ireland is part of a monitoring mission of more than 200 observers who oversee the ceasefire between Russia and Georgia, which ended the war of 2008.
Ireland also represents the OSCE in Geneva in a process aimed at resolving the conflict.
Mr Kapanadze said Georgia would also be represented at a meeting of OSCE ministers here in December.
