Georgia thanks San Marino for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity

Georgia is stepping up its bilateral cooperation with San Marino – an enclaved microstate surrounded by Italy.

San Marino’s Foreign Minister Pasquale Valentini has come to Georgia to meet Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in capital Tbilisi.

The two officials met today and discussed a range of local, regional and global issues.

Bilateral relations in tourism and economy sectors, as well as the current situation in Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia regions were high on the agenda of today’s meeting.

Kvirikashvili stressed Russia and the de facto leaders of the two Georgian breakaway leaders had approached San Marino and tried to get the small European country to recognise the two Georgian occupied regions as independent republics. However the country instantly dismissed such appeals and Kvirikashvili was thankful for this. 

Georgian and San Marino Foreign Ministries signed a Memorandum of Understanding today. Photo by Georgia's Foreign Ministry. 

I want to thank the San Marino government for its irreversible support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Kvirikashvili said. 

The sides agreed to deepen cooperation in the future in the economy and tourism areas. 

In this regard, the Georgian official recognised that San Marino was striving to sign its own Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). As Georgia achieved this in June 2014, Kvirikashvili said Georgia could provide advice and support to its partner state as it went through this process. 

Valentini is due to leave Georgia later today after meeting with other Georgian top officials including President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili among them. 

Before his departure the San Marino official was also due to visit the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) that separated Georgia from occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and locally observe the situation and the results of Russia’s creeping occupation.

San Marino – the world’s fifth smallest country measuring only 61.2 km2 – has a population of about 32,500 people and is located on the northeastern coast of Italy.