Georgia-Denmark relationship intensifies

Denmark is set to ratify the Georgia-European Union (EU) Association Agreement (AA) in December, says the country’s Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard.

Lidegaard, who is on his second visit to Tbilisi within seven months, met Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili yesterday.

Lidegaard said the Danish Government had also decided it would soon increase the amount of financial aid it offered Georgia.

While here, Lidegaard signed two important documents that intensified relations between Georgia and Denmark.

The two countries’ Foreign Ministers signed the Agreement between Georgia and Kingdom of Denmark on Readmission of Persons, Residing without Authorization.

The Danish Foreign Minister and the Georgia’s Energy Minister signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Energy Sector between the Government of Georgia and the Government of Denmark.

Meanwhile at Lidegaard’s meeting with PM Garibashvili, the Georgian leader said Danish assistance was important for Georgia in the direction of human rights protection, support of internally displaced people, media freedom and economic development.

At the Foreign Ministers meeting, Lidegaard and Beruchashvili discussed the recent situation at Georgia’s occupied territories and the Kremlin-proposed ‘Alliance and Integration’ treaty between Russia and Georgia's breakaway region, the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia.

The sides stressed in this situation it was crucial for Denmark to intensify its efforts to ensure Russia received clearer and stricter messages about the need of protecting international laws.