Georgian FM meets US Under Secretary of State on sidelines of UN General Assembly
Keith Krach and David Zalkaliani spoke on a wide range of issues of bilateral agenda in New York. Photo: Georgian Foreign Ministry press office
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani met with the United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
At the meeting, they reiterated strategic partnership between Georgia and the US and stressed that their bilateral relations are currently on a high-level, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported.
Watch Zalkaliani's meeting with Krach in a short video released on the former's official Facebook account:
They further spoke of deepening the US-Georgia trade relations, as well as the opportunities for free trade agreement and direct flights.
Minister Zalkaliani briefed Krach on the security situation in the Russian occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and the recent developments on the ground.
Photo: Georgian Foreign Ministry press office
He also thanked the United States for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as its democratic development and European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
David Zalkaliani visited the United States together with the Georgian delegation led by President Salome Zurabishvili, who addressed the UNGA on September 25.
On the sidelines of the UNGA Zalkalianiheld a number of meeting with other foreign officials, including his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
The US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus has tweeted that the US government welcomes the recent meeting between Georgian and Russian foreign ministers, held in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with the mediation of Switzerland.
EU, OSCE and the UN top officials have welcomed the recent meeting between Georgian and Russian Foreign Ministers David Zalkaliani and Sergey Lavrov which was the first high-level meeting of top officials from the two countries after the suspension of diplomatic ties back in 2008, due to the Russia-Georgia war.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the general debate of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier today. In her speech she said Georgia is “a small country, on the edge of Europe”, it is “one of the democratic countries of the world” and its main challenge and priority is peace.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has pushed forward the issue of the two Russian-occupied regions of Georgia Abkhazia and Tskhinvali and the current situation at the occupation line at his meetings with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger.