OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp visited Georgia from 31 August to 4 September 2026. During his visit, Kamp travelled to the municipality of Marneuli and to the city of Batumi. He also joined a European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia patrol on the Administrative Boundary Line.
In Tbilisi, the High Commissioner met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Maka Botchorishvili, Education, Science and Youth Minister Givi Mikanadze, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Tea Akhvlediani, Public Defender Levan Ioseliani, and members of the Government and the parliament. Kamp also engaged with representatives of the international community, minority representatives and civil society organizations.
In Batumi and Marneuli, Kamp met with local and regional authorities, community leaders, as well as teachers and directors of minority-language schools. He also had the opportunity to exchange with members of minority-led civil society organizations working to foster inter-community dialogue and strengthen the effective participation of national minorities in public life.
His interlocutors underlined the important contribution of mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE) in facilitating opportunities for persons belonging to national minorities while also helping to preserve communities' identities. They also discussed ways in which this contribution could be further recognized and supported. The High Commissioner noted that his office had supported the development of mother-tongue based MLE in Georgia at policy and implementation level for more than two decades.
During his visit, the High Commissioner also exchanged views on the legal and institutional framework supporting the integration of Georgia's diverse society. In his meetings, Kamp discussed the importance of meaningful consultation of communities at all levels of government, as well as the effective participation of national minorities in political and public life. He also discussed the situation of conflict-affected populations.
The visit was an opportunity for the High Commissioner to exchange with a broad range of stakeholders on social cohesion and inter-community relationships in Georgia, based on the office's previous long-term engagement in the country.
