Georgian PM, president meet with 8 foreign FMs at Batumi Conference to strengthen political, economic ties
Foreign Ministers of Poland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Armenia, Hungary, Czech, Moldova and the UK are in Batumi to participate in the 16th Batumi International Conference. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The foreign ministers of Poland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Armenia, Hungary, Czech, Moldova and UK have met with top Georgian politicians to strengthen economic and political ties with the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zakharieva discussed the possibility of launching direct flights between the two countries to further strengthen economic relations and cooperation in the tourism field.
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze met Bulgarian Foreign Minister in Batumi. Photo: Prime Minister's press office.
During her meeting with Zurabishvil, it was stated that the two countries have high potential to boost tourism, culture and trade ties.
With @margotwallstrom, Minister of Foreign Affairs of #Sweden ????????, a productive round of talks on:
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) July 11, 2019
✅ The idea of an ad hoc integration into the #EU ????????
✅ Sharing experiences on how to protect democracy in the face of #fakenews
✅ Deeper trade and cultural cooperation. pic.twitter.com/iUezGCsa4G
Air travel and new possibilities were also discussed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto during his meeting with Ziurabishvili.
With Péter #Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of #Hungary. Great to hear about his continuous support on our European integration path, while discussing #airtravel, trade links, and the chance to work together via the @VisegradFund. ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/PhIi04mSxd
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) July 11, 2019
One of the top issues of the meeting between Zurabishvili and Foreign Minister of Sweden Margot Wallstrom was sharing experience on how to bolster democracy.
#Poland was one of the initiators of the #EasternPartnership, which has brought us so much closer to the #EU in the last 10 years. I expressed Georgia’s gratitude with @PolandMFA Jacek Czaputowicz, and talked about deeper cooperation between #Tbilisi and #Brussels. pic.twitter.com/wwLecMmWqZ
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) July 11, 2019
All the foreign ministers stated that they are ready to further encourage cooperation with Georgia and expressed support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
‘We are interested in attracting more investments from the EU’
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava spoke at a panel titled ‘1st Eastern Partnership Investment forum: 10 Years After Prague’ at the16th Batumi International Conference, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative.
European Council President Donald Tusk says that the decision of Russia to ban direct flights to Georgia was “disproportionate and unjustified.” He said that Georgia has shown “devotion” to democratic reforms and the rule of law many times.
European Council President Donald Tusk has arrived in Georgia to participate in the international conference in the Black Sea town of Batumi, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative.
“When I say Georgia, I mean freedom, when I say Georgia, I mean pride, when I say Georgia, I mean courage. You are a small country, but a great nation. You have achieved impossible things, because you were, despite all the differences, united around a common goal, that was a free, independent and modern state,” Tusk stated.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk has met with the founder and the head of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili and said that it was a “very interesting and inspiring meeting.”
Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the President of European Council Donald Tusk who said the collapse of the Soviet Union was “a blessing" to Georgians, Poles, Ukrainians and the whole of Central and Eastern Europe, and also to Russians.
“Only 10 months after the end of the Russian-Georgian War, we understood that we needed partners in the post-Soviet space and that the freedom of our allies there is directly connected with the freedom of the EU,” Petricek stated during the 16th Batumi International Conference.
Twenty per cent more Hungarian tourists have visited Georgia this year, which is a good reason to launch direct flights between the two countries, Georgia Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze told Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Batumi, on the sidelines of the Batumi 16th International Conference.
The Batumi 16th International Conference, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative, has opened earlier today, with an “unprecedented number” of foreign guests, including the president of the European Council Donald Tusk, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reports.