Georgia makes “wonderful impressions” on Austrian President

Georgia believes the president of Austria's visit to Tbilisi is a "clear demonstration of support” in the run-up to the Riga Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit.

This opinion was shared by Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili when he met Austrian President Heinz Fischer in Tbilisi today.

The Austrian delegation, led by President Fischer, is paying its first-ever official visit to Georgia. Fischer said Georgia "has already made wonderful impressions” on him.

Within the framework of the visit Fischer met Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Garibashvili and Patriarch Ilia II, head of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Georgia-Austria and Georgia-European Union (EU) relations were the main topic discussed at President Fischer’s meeting with PM Garibashvili.

Garibashvili expressed gratitude for Austria’s "continuous and strong” support of Georgia’s European aspirations, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-recognition policy towards the occupied territories and contribution to the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), where Austria has seven monitors.

The sides agreed on deepening collaboration and signed memorandums of understanding in four fields:

• Environment protection
• Agriculture
• Efficient administration of modern technologies
• Infrastructure technologies

Following this, Fischer and Garibashvili opened Georgia-Austria business forum. Read more here.

Meeting the Patriarch

Today the Austrian President met the Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II.

At the meeting Fischer said Georgia had made "wonderful impressions” on him, and expressed interest in two topics:

• What Ilia II thought of the Georgian government’s European choice; and
• What was the Patriarch’s idea about the relationship between Tbilisi and Moscow as well as between the Georgian and Russian churches.

"Georgia has chosen the European path,” Ilia II said.

"Georgia wants to become a member, a part of European democratic structures. Our choice is very firm and we will achieve this.

"As for the relations between the churches, it is a complicated relationship.”

President Fischer highlighted the role of the patriarch and said: "Georgia’s Constitution determines the status of Georgian Orthodox Church in terms of authority, entitling you, as the Catholicos-Patriarch, to express your position on certain issues.”

He also stressed that in Austria, unlike Georgia, the law defined the status of both leading and minority religions in a similar fashion.

Today was the last day of the Austrian President’s Tbilisi visit. The Austrian delegation will leave Georgia later today, but, as highlighted by the both sides, will continue cooperation with the country.