THE PROJECT manager of Transparency International Georgia, Erekle Urushadze, visited the office of TI Ukraine. Erekle is a member of the organization since 2009. He is working on anti-corruption reforms in Georgia since the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili.
Similar to Ukraine, Georgia experiences anti-corruption challenges. One of the issue is to investigate the problem of impunity of grand corrupt officials. Georgian experts do everything possible to ensure the independence of state anti-corruption bodies and ensure regular checking of declarations of high-ranking officials.
In contrast to Ukraine, Erekle admits that the anti-corruption community have never felt pressure from the Georgian authorities. Absence of such pressure allows the organization to develop: Transparency International Georgia has the head office in Tbilisi, 35 of staff and three regional offices. “We are watching with warning how the electronic declaration is being introduced in Ukraine for public activists, who are involved in the fight against corruption. There are no such norms in Georgia, because Georgian politicians value good relations with Brussels”, explained Urushadze.
