Estonian Foreign Minister: Georgia is important partner for Estonia and EU

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser is on an official visit to Tbilisi to meet with Georgian leaders and discuss the integration of Georgia into the EU and NATO. Photo: MFA of Georgia
Agenda.ge, 24 Apr 2017 - 17:08, Tbilisi,Georgia

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser says that Georgia is a good example of a successful country whose ambition is to become a member of the European Union.

Mikser added that Georgia still has a long way to go to achieve this goal but the country already has important tangible results, including visa-free travel to the EU. 

Mikser is on an official visit to Tbilisi today to meet with Georgian leaders and discuss the integration of Georgia into the EU and NATO, the upcoming Estonian Presidency of the EU Council and developments in the neighbourhood of Georgia and in Europe.

Speaking at a press conference together with Mikser, Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said that Georgia and Estonia are planning to launch direct flights between the two countries in order to bring the two nations closer to each other.

"We are doing our best to support introduction of direct flights. The Georgian Embassy in Estonia actively cooperates with Estonian companies and negotiations are underway to carry out direct flights”, Janelidze said.

Mikser said that when Estonia assumes the EU Council Presidency this July for the next six months, one of the priority directions will be the EU’s closer cooperation with the Eastern Partnership countries, including Georgia.

Mikser reconfirmed Estonia’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and Western aspirations. He said Georgia has worked hard and impressively to achieve visa-free travel, one of the important milestones of EU integration.

Education cooperation between the two states was also in focus at the talks between Janelidze and Mikser. Janelidze said that currently about 200 Georgian students study at Estonian universities.

Janelidze invited Estonian youth to study in Georgia.

"The friendship between Georgia and Estonia is very firm [and] it is important that our youth get education together. We will be happy to see Estonian students at Georgian universities. This will allow our future generations to be as close to each other as this or previous generations”, Janelidze said.

As part of his visit Mikser visited a Georgian family living behind a barbed wire fence near the Russian-occupied region of Georgia-Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) this afternoon.

The occupation line isolates the house of Davit Vanishvili and his family from the rest of Khurvaleti village, preventing them from freely moving along the village and sometimes even from buying food.

Meeting Vanishvili, Minister Mikser learned more about the serious humanitarian situation that the family is facing behind the barbed wire fence.

Looking ahead, Mikser will also meet with Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvii, President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze.