Georgian FM: Batumi Int’l Conference fulfilled its goal, messages were extremely supportive
The Batumi 16th International Conference has come to an end. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkalinai says that the Batumi 16th International Conference has fulfilled its goal, where Georgia was once again featured as the leader country of the Eastern Partnership initiative, having achieved “big success” on its European path.
It has been a really unprecedented and a large-scale event. We can say that we have not had such a conference before taking its participants and the content into account. The messages we have heard during the conference were extremely supportive of Georgia,” Zalkaliani said.
Wrap-us Session: Eastern Partnership 2020 - Recharge and Update. Moderators give their insights as to where they would like to see the #Eastern Partnership within the next ten years' time #BatumiInternationalConferenceEaP10 #StrongerTogether #BatumiConference #BatumiEaP10 pic.twitter.com/j3NzWWA14r
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) July 12, 2019
He stated that Georgia’s foreign partners have an “exact knowledge” about the situation in Georgia and the country’s intentions.
The Batumi 16th International Conference, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the EU’s Eastern Partnership initiative, opened yesterday, with an “unprecedented number” of foreign guests, including the president of the European Council Donald Tusk and foreign ministers from eight countries.
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Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and President Salome Zurabishvili stated in their speeches that Georgia is ready for a “new era” in EU-Georgia relations.
“Georgia’s European choice is not a simply matter of political convenience, but it is a bottom-up choice of the Georgian people - a civilizational and a value based choice that my nation has made...”#BatumiConferenceEaP10 pic.twitter.com/27au3FUqX5
— Mamuka Bakhtadze (@BakhtadzeMamuka) July 11, 2019
European Council President Tusk praised Georgia in his speech, citing Georgian Poet Vazha Pshavela in Georgian and said that he supports EU enlargement.
.@eucopresident Donald Tusk: For me #Georgia is not only an important partner of the #EU. 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.???????????????? pic.twitter.com/WZSendraw3
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) July 12, 2019
He said that Russia’s flight ban was “unjustified and disproportionate.”
The European Union and the government of Georgia signed a €28 million deal to support security sector reforms in Georgia during the conference.
Vice-President of the EBRD Pierre Heilbronn said in Batumi that the bank is in search of new opportunities to further increase its support in 2019.
“One idea outside the box is for Georgia to start accession negotiations on an “ad hoc” basis. Such a pragmatic, non-institutional, non-political decision, would be very significative and very important,” Pres. @Zourabichvili_S said. https://t.co/1VRKX94Web
— Khatia Moistsrapishvili (@GeoPresPS) July 12, 2019
The conference offered specific thematic sessions on major areas of cooperation where participants shared new ideas on further strengthening of the partnership and advancing European integration processes beyond 2020.
Two parallel events: Eastern Partnership Investment Forum and Donors’ Annual Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Technical Assistance Trust Fund took place on the sidelines of the conference.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria has praised Georgia-US cooperation at the 16th Batumi International Conference adding more rotational military exercises with involvement of NATO countries are planned in Georgia. Izoria said that Georgia is preparing for another three-year cycle of cooperation to ‘increase Georgia’s self-defence capacity.’
Georgian Minister of Infrastructure Maia Tskitishvili has spoken about the importance of the Anaklia deep sea port, which aims to help establish the shortest route between Europe and Asia, at the ongoing 16th Batumi International Conference. She said that the government is doing all it can to support the private consortium which has the responsibility of attracting funds for the construction of the port.
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.
Next week Georgia will host European Council President Donald Tusk, Estonian PM Juri Ratas and eight foreign ministers from the EU and partner countries. Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that the foreign officials will participate in an international conference in Batumi devoted to the 10th anniversary of Eastern Partnership.