Georgian prime minister aims to position country among top three for low corruption

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze outlined his Government's "ambitious goal" to position the country among the top three nations in the world for low corruption. 

“There is a political will for this, the rest depends on the right policy,” Kobakhidze said on the margins of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 11, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

The Prime Minister's comments come following the release of the latest Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, which ranked Georgia as the top country in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region and 53rd out of 180 countries globally. However, Kobakhidze argued that the report did not fully reflect Georgia’s progress in reducing corruption.

“It is important we have a leading position, although I think that this study does not adequately reflect the progress that our country has made in terms of reducing corruption over the past year,” he remarked.

Kobakhidze highlighted the Government's efforts in addressing corruption, noting, “We are actively addressing this issue, and significant measures have been taken this year to reduce corruption levels in our country [...] The Government will do its utmost to ensure that the country can make maximum progress in this direction.”

The Prime Minister also pointed out the Government’s commitment to transparency, stating, “All Government decrees and legal acts were published on the official website and are transparent, and there have not been complaints about any act.” He urged other public institutions to adopt similar practices to “further” reduce the corruption level in the country.

“This is one of the most significant national issues for our country and the Government,” Kobakhidze concluded, reiterating the importance of tackling corruption in Georgia’s future development.

Georgia leads the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index. Georgia outranks 11 EU and NATO member states: Greece, Slovakia, Croatia, Malta, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Türkiye.

The Corruption Perceptions Index is traditionally conducted in 180 countries, with countries rated on a 100-point scale.

By Vugar Khalilov