The Diplomat
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, traveled to Georgia yesterday, where he discussed strengthening cooperation in the area of security and the fight against organized crime and signed a protocol to encourage the return of Georgian citizens in an irregular situation.
The working visit to Tbilisi, which will conclude today, began with a meeting with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, with whom he discussed the upcoming signing of an agreement for the creation of “joint and specialized work teams” for the prevention and fight against organized crime, which would reinforce the existing Cooperation Agreement for the fight against Crime between the two countries.
During the meeting at the government headquarters in Tbilisi, the minister thanked the Georgian chief executive for the “intense and fruitful collaboration” offered in recent years by the Georgian authorities and police forces, which have allowed the dismantling of criminal organizations dedicated to robberies in homes and establishments, money laundering, document falsification and irregular immigration.
Likewise, Grande-Marlaska conveyed to Irakli Garibashvili Spanish support for Georgia’s accession process to the European Union, which began in March 2022, and congratulated the Government on its progress and the reform process undertaken to adapt to the conditions of entry.
Subsequently, Grande-Marlaska met with his counterpart, Vakhtang Gomelauri, with whom he already met in Madrid on April 4 and with whom he signed a “Protocol on the readmission of illegal residents.” In this regard, the Spanish minister expressly thanked Gomelauri for the efforts made from Georgia to encourage the return of Georgian citizens in an irregular situation.
The two heads of Interior progressed in the talks for the establishment of a joint analysis team on organized crime between the Georgian security forces and the National Police, aimed at combating human trafficking and irregular immigration, and They promised to promote a joint work team with the Civil Guard, aimed at collaboration in border surveillance, emergency management and police control of masses. Grande-Marlaska and Gomelauri also discussed the possible signing of an agreement on the exchange of Georgian driving licenses in Spain.
