Georgia to host parliamentary delegations of Nordic, Baltic states

Georgia will host the parliament and vice speakers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from March 20-22.

The delegations will meet with the Georgian Parliamentary Speaker, other officials of parliament, the President, Prime Minister, State Minister on EU and NATO Integration and the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway will be represented by their respective Parliamentary Speakers, while Finland and Iceland will be represented by Vice Parliament Speakers. Sweden will be represented by its ambassador to Georgia.

The Nordic and Baltic countries make up Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) - the informal format of regional cooperation between the eight states, and serves as an instrument for political dialogue and practical cooperation.

• Georgia’s Defence Minister initiates Nordic-Baltic-Georgian cooperation format

Georgia is interested in the development of cooperation with the NB8 in various directions, including domestic affairs, defence and security. Throughout 2016, Georgia has expressed commitment on various levels for involvement and hosting NB8 events. This visit will be a demonstration of the cooperation of Georgia with the NB8.

Within the visit, the delegations will meet with European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) representatives and will visit the villages of Nadarbazevi and Khurvaleti to study the situation at the Administrative Boundary Line between the breakaway Tskhinvali region and the rest of Georgia.