New French Ambassador: “Georgia is only post-Soviet nation we have global cooperation”

Georgia’s relationship with France is entering a new, stronger phase of commitments, says Georgia’s Minister of Defence Tinatin Khidasheli. 

Georgia’s developing relationship with France was the subject of a meeting between Khidasheli and the new French Ambassador to Georgia Pascal Meunier at the Ministry’s headquarters in capital Tbilisi yesterday. 

Meunier stressed Georgia was the only post-Soviet country with whom France had global cooperation, while Khidasheli added this year would be a fruitful time for Georgia-France relations, as a range of projects and activities to enhance military cooperation were planned.

Ambassador Meunier, who replaced Reno Salens, stressed it was his second official meeting in Georgia after he met Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili on March 7 and handed him his credentials. 

Ambassador Pascal Meunier (L) has already handed his credentials to Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili. Photo by the President’s webpage. 

Khidasheli emphasised France had expressed its readiness to offer "major support” to Georgia as the country developed its air defences within the NATO-Georgia Substantial Package of support. 

She stressed Georgia wanted to involve France in other areas of the support package.

After meeting the new French Ambassador Khidasheli said a visit of France’s Defence Minister to Georgia was being negotiated. 

Other France-Georgia cooperation included:

• The first group of military experts from France would come to Georgia next week to train Georgian soldiers about air defence; and 
• This year Georgia will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Sachkhere Mountain Training School, which was created with the support of France.

The new French official said Georgia and France enjoyed a close partnership. Meunier expressed his country’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and emphasised Georgia’s effort to contribute to international peace and security.

Georgia is the only post-Soviet country with whom France has global cooperation. I am very happy that the Sachkhere Mountain Training School has been granted NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) status.”

Our cooperation is quite vast, which indicates the high level of trust between our two nations,” the Ambassador said.

The PfP Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) is a multilateral agreement between NATO member states and countries participating in the PfP program. It deals with the status of foreign forces while present on the territory of another state.