PM Garibashvili enjoys fruitful meetings with European leaders

The Prime Minister of Georgia had a busy day today attending several meetings with top European officials at the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Riga.

Today is the second and final day of the 4th EaP Summit, which involves the EU’s 28 member states plus the six countries formally recognised as the EU’s eastern partners: Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

European Parliament

Within the Summit, Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili today met with European Parliament President Martin Schulz. At the meeting Schulz said European Parliament was ready to express the maximum amount of support Georgia, as the leading EaP country.

The sides also underlined the importance of implementing the reforms determined by the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).

The Georgian official welcomed the political decision made today on Georgia’s visa liberalisation and expressed hope that the technical procedures would be finished soon, so Georgian citizens could travel to Europe without visas.

In addition, Garibashvili noted the Association Agreement (AA) was the general plan of Georgia’s Europeanisation.

Meeting of Croatian and Georgian Prime Ministers at the EaP Summit in Riga. Photo by PM's press-office

Croatia

Also today the Georgian Prime Minister met with his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanovic, and invited him to come to Georgia on an official visit.

The main topics discussed between Garibashvili and Milanovic were bilateral political and economic relations, Georgia’s European aspirations and the sharing of Croatia’s experience with Georgia.

The two leaders positively evaluated the increase in trade turnover between Georgia and Croatia, which reached $2.1 million USD from January to March 2015. The pair also stressed the importance of efficiently using the capacities given by the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA).

Garibashvili also thanked his Croatian counterpart for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Slovenia

Another meeting Garibashvili attended today was with the Prime Minister of Slovenia Miro Cerar, who expressed full support towards Georgia in its visa liberalisation process.

Cerar invited Garibashvili to Slovenia on an official visit and proposed an initiative to hold a joint business forum there in order to further deepen the economic and trade ties between the two countries.

In response, Garibashvili thanked Cerar for ratifying the Georgia-EU Association Agreement on May 13 and invited him to attend the Silk Road Forum, which Tbilisi will host in September.

Bulgaria

Meanwhile at Garibashvili’s meeting today with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the leaders decided the fifth inter-governmental economic commission would be held in Sofia this year. Garibashvili was also officially invited to Bulgaria by Borissov.

In addition, the leaders of the two countries focused on the importance of high-level bilateral visits and deepening of economic and trade relations. It was noted that trade turnover amounted to $373.9 million USD in 2014, which was a seven-percent increase on 2013.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili with the Bulgarian Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov at the EaP Summit in Riga. Photo by PM's press-office

Greece

The Georgian Prime Minister held his final meeting today with the Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras.

The Greek PM noted Georgia was a "stable, democratic and trustworthy partner” in the areas of trade and energy security in a strategically important region.

The sides spoke fondly of the current bilateral cooperation in the economic field and the largely increased economic turnover between the two countries, which amounted to $131 million USD in 2014 – a 77 percent increase on 2013.

At the end of the meeting, Tsipras invited Garibashvili to Greece for an official visit.