The Georgian Foreign Minister, Ms Maia Panjikidze has signed the International Arms Trade Treaty on behalf of the Georgian Government. The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines on the 69th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters, in New York, reports GHN based on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"It is indeed my great honour to sign the Arms Trade Treaty on behalf of the Government of Georgia. I am pleased to express today my satisfaction for formally committing my country to a Treaty that, we think and hope, will contribute to make the world a safer place. We consider the adoption of the landmark document - legally binding Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) as a historic diplomatic achievement, a successful culmination of the determination and many years of efforts of the international community aimed at fostering global peace and security, preventing human rights abuses caused by the illicit flow of conventional arms and ammunition. Georgia is well aware of the grave consequences of the uncontrolled spread and excessive accumulation of the conventional arms. Therefore, during the whole negotiation process, Georgia has been an active supporter of the adoption of the effective legally-binding mechanism, a strong and robust ATT", the Minister said.
The International Arms Trade Treaty was developed by the UN in 2013; it includes certain obligations in terms of arms trade in the world and prevents the illegal import of arms to the conflict regions.
This document will be submitted to the Georgian Parliament for ratification.