Georgian PM holds farewell meeting with Swedish Ambassador to Georgia

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday held a farewell meeting with the Swedish Ambassador to Georgia, Ulrik Tideström, with the latter’s diplomatic term in the country coming to a close.

At the meeting, the “fruitful” cooperation between Georgia and Sweden was discussed between the Prime Minister and the outgoing Ambassador, with the officials highlighting Sweden's assistance provided in “various directions” in the development of the country, the PM’s press office said.

Garibashvili stressed Sweden was one of the “greatest foreign donors” for Georgia and “had contributed much” to the modernization of the country’s institutions and democratic processes as well as its socioeconomic development.

The meeting also covered Georgia's path towards European integration and Sweden's assistance in this effort, which is particularly significant in the light of Sweden's current Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Georgia’s “progress and positive dynamics” of the implementation of the 12 priorities set out by the European Commission last year for granting Georgia its membership candidate status were also reviewed at the meeting, with the PM pointing out that European integration was Georgian people’s choice and the country was expecting its candidate status.

Garibashvili extended his gratitude to Tideström for supporting Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the EU integration process, and wished him success in his future work.