PRESS RELEASE

Local Democracy Agency Georgia to be opened

The Association of the Local Democracy Agency (ALDA) will open its 12th Local Democracy Agency (LDA) in Kutaisi, Georgia on 8 September 2006. It is the first LDA outside South East Europe where ALDA has been working for more than 13 years now.
The inauguration event will be held in the Electricity Company Building in Kutaisi in the presence of an international audience including journalists, local officials, representatives of the Council of Europe and other international organisations as well as all the partners of the LDA.The celebrations will be preceded by a meeting of all the partners of the new Agency on 7 September, among them the cities of Strasbourg, Nantes (France), Newport (UK), Monfalcone (Italy), the cities of Kutaisi, Tbilisi (Georgia), the NGOs ‘Centre for Social Ethics’ (Lithuania), the Georgian Association of Local Authorities NALAG, ‘Partners Georgia’ and ‘Kutaisi-Newport-Association’. They will discuss the work priorities of the new Agency and appoint a Delegate (Head) of the Agency as well as the lead partner.
The first projects of the new Agency will concentrate on human rights education, youth projects and capacity building for local authorities.
A brief press conference will be held after the inauguration conference. Journalists wishing to receive further information can contact: Mr Martial Paris, Assistant to the Director, ALDA, martial.paris@aldaintranet.org

Local Democracy Agency Georgia
7th of September 2006
Kutaisi
LDA Office
Agenda Selection of the Delegate and Partners Meeting

OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING:
Selection of the Delegate by the International Partners
Presentation of the future activities of the LDA Georgia
Definition of the common priorities of the partners

Moderator: Mrs Antonella Valmorbida, Director of ALDA

09.00 Presentation and interviews of the candidates
CV of the candidates and schedule of evaluation
10:30-10:45 Coffee Break
13:00 Appointment of the Delegate of the Agency and lead partner
13:15 Lunch
14:30 Approval of the memorandum of understanding by the partner
15:30-15:45 Coffee Break
15:30 Organisation of the office and role of the delegate and lead partner
16:15 Presentation of LDA Programme for 2006 by Antonella Valmorbida
Definition of potential common projects: discussion local and international partners
17.30 End of the meeting

Local Democracy Agency Georgia
8th of September 2006
Agenda of the Opening Ceremony
Premises to be confirmed

Chairperson, Mr Per Vinther, Vice President ALDA

13:00 Registration of participants
13:15 Welcome address by Mr Per Vinther, ALDA Vice President
13:30 Welcome address by the Mayor of Kutaisi, Mr. Chogovadze and Chairman of the City Council, Mr Katamadze.
13:50 Statement by the Representative of the Association of Local Democracy Agencies
14:10 Statement by the Representative of the Congress of the Council of Europe
14:25 Statement by Mr Igor Gaon, Special Representative of the SG to Georgia, Council of Europe.
14:40 “European Union and Georgia” – Mr. Torben Holtze, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Georgia (tbc)
15:00 Statement by Representative of Nantes
15:10 Statement by Representative of Strasburg
15:20 Statement by Representative of Newport
15:30 Statement by Representative of Bristol
15:40 Statement from Representative of Tbilisi
15:50 Statement by Representative of Kutaisi-Newport International Association
16:00 Coffee break
16:15 “The role of the partners in the LDA Programme” – Mrs Antonella Valmorbida, Director of the ALDA
“Proposed programmes for the LDA Georgia in 2006” – Mrs Antonella Valmorbida, Director of ALDA.
16:45 Presentation of the newly appointed Delegate
17:00 Signature of the Memorandum of Understanding

Contact: Dorothee Fischer

Press Officer and Project Manager

Association of Local Democracy Agencies

Council of Europe

Avenue de l'Europe

Office 1024

67075 Strasbourg

Tel: 00 33 3 90 21 45 93
Mobile: 00 33 6 33 55 47 10

Fax: 00 33 3 88 41 27 51

www.ldaaonline.org