NALAS exchanged with our Georgian association

The Network of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS) continues to be actively involved in the work of the PLATFORMA Eastern Partnership Cluster. As part of its Eastern Neighbourhood programme, it organised a peer exchange with the Georgian Association (NALAG), in Strasbourg on 28 March.

The exchange was opened by Dusan Raicevic, NALAS Vice President, Mayor of Bar, Montenegro, Nino Rukhadze, Executive Director of NALAG and Boris Tonhauser, Director of PLATFORMA.

Our director underlined the broader geopolitical context such as the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, granting Ukraine and Moldova candidate status, as well as Georgia in 2023.

He reminded participants that the role of local authorities in this context is essential, and the membership support processes must guarantee them the means to ensure the provision of local public services to their citizens with responsibility, integrity, and autonomy.

The participants discussed how to support the policy work of the local government associations through sectoral committees. They also explored the role of local governments and their representative associations in the EU accession process, including the position of municipal EU officers/advisors in charge of EU affairs at the local level, as well as the efforts of associations to support municipalities in contributing to and benefiting from the EU accession. 

Later on, NALAS will organise two other peer exchanges with Moldovan (CALM) and Ukrainian (AUC) partners.