Conversation with Valeri Kopaleishvili from the Ministry of refugees of Georgia.

“Georgia is not in prime condition: after the fall of the USSR a part of the soviet inheritance has remained together with the occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Though historically it has always been tolerant, including within its territories different peoples of different religious beliefs”: said Valeri Kopaleishvili, head of the administrative department of the Ministry of refugees of Georgia.

Visiting the Tuscan village of Rondine on Monday 20th December, the representative of the department talked for a long time to the students and staff of the current situation of his country, that has unfortunately experienced two conflicts in the last twenty years: the one in 1991-1993 for the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which proclaimed themselves independent, and the one in August 2008 between Georgia and Russia for the control over South Ossetia.

“In reality, Mr. Kopaleishvili explained, I do not perceive any ethnic conflict in my country, but a conflict which has been inherited from the USSR that, at the time, to succeed in better controlling its immense territory, fomented internal conflicts. Officially, he admitted, there is a conflict between Gerogia and Russia but we want to look at the future. The future is values, it is Europe and we consider ourselves European”.

Admitting to feel great responsibility towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the leader underlined his belief in normal life and peace: our objective, he stated, is to give refugees the possibility to live normal lives. For this post we are not a political organism, we are just trying to generate protection and the return to normality”.

Speaking of refugees, Mr. Kopaleishvili gave us some figures: after the violence in 1991-1993 about 80.000 families were displaced, for a total of 230.000 people, while following the conflict in 2008 about 8.000 thousand families escaped (23.000 people). “During the last three years, he explained, our strategies have been to provide housing solutions and social integration programs”. There are currently 88.000 idps (internally displaced persons): 10.000 of these do not need governmental assistance any more, but 55.000 depend on the government, which continues to apply its rehabilitation programs. About 23.000 displaced families (70.000 people all together) have made use of lasting housing solutions as part of the action plan for the application off the governmental strategy for idps, while 55.000 families are still waiting.