On behalf of the Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, I am privileged to open the 38th ENFI DNA Working Group Meeting. I herein extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you and since ENFSI DNA Working Group Meeting is held in Georgia for the first time, I hope, the conference will be productive and interesting, and that the Georgian experience will be gratifying for each of you. I deem, we all share the same position when we signify the importance of DNA Laboratory in the work of criminalistics regardless its complexity or long examinations. National Forensics Bureau, along with its partners and ENFSI members, reconfirms its commitment towards improving quality and credibility.
We have gathered here today to acknowledge experience, share information on latest scientific achievements, modern DNA examination methods and their practical utilization in ENFSI member laboratories. Such a conference is key for decision making and advice, for recommendations and preventing misconduct.
Here in Georgia, we apply all efforts to engage actively in combat against international crime. And in light of this, I would like to note that since 2012, a CODIS data base is operated within the Bureau, which gives us and many other countries and opportunities to share DNA data-base between the laboratories. This re-affirms our commitments against the international crime.
Moreover, Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau is a leading institution in the region and it also offers services to our neighboring countries. In this regard, I am happy to note, that young professionals from Armenia underwent a training here at the Bureau and I am pleased to greet them here today.
I am also pleased to say that DNA examination has demonstrated an impressive progress in Georgia and I am proud to state that key DNA examinations across the country are conducted in our Bureau. In the coming days, the Bureau will open a renovated, refurnished nuclear DNA laboratory and we will also have a new Mitochondrial DNA Laboratory. Our DNA experts will be accordingly trained in the coming weeks.
At the same time, it is my honor to say that since 2009, the DNA Laboratory of the Bureau also conducts medical research. We research mutations of inherited diseases. We have recently rather successfully finished a project, financed by Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation, within the framework of which we have researched inherited thrombophilia in the population of Georgia – what makes me so proud is that we are the pioneers in researching human mutations in Georgia.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would need hours to talk about the National Forensics Bureau, to describe all the projects that we implement, about our challenges, goals and objectives, but I will not exceed the time limit and on this I will stop while wishing all the success to each of us.
I hope our cooperation will deepen further and I am confident this meeting will produce important results.