Sultanoglu Gets View of Georgian Decentralization and Local Governance

During her three-day visit to Georgia, Cihan Sultanoglu, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, travelled to the Dusheti municipality with the Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to meet the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Tengiz Shergelashvili, the Head of the Dusheti Administration, Vazha Chokheli, and various civil society organizations. Sultanoglu met local residents, paid visits to a number of villages and got to witness first-hand the results of decentralization and local governance in the region.

Ms. Sultanoglu congratulated Vazha Chokheli on being the first mayor of the Dusheti municipality elected directly and recognized the fact as a demonstration of decentralization and democratic transformation in Georgia. UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Niels Scott, and Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Georgia, Shombi Sharp, were also present during the visit.

Meri Taliashvili