Georgian FM visits Sweden for first time in 8 years
Georgian FM David Zalkaliani has met with the State Secretary to Minister for EU Affairs Paula Carvalho Olovsson. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.
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Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has visited Sweden for the first time in eight years, having held meetings with the State Secretary to Minister for EU Affairs Paula Carvalho Olovsson, head of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) Carin Jamtin and members of the Georgian diaspora.
While meeting with Carvalho, Zalkaliani thanked Sweden as the initiator of the EU’s Eastern Partnership and for its support for Georgian EU integration.
Zalkaliani also thanked Jamtin for SIDA’s many years of cooperation with Georgia and the organisation’s support via its projects for the reforms ongoing in the country.
Meeting with the members of the Georgian diaspora Zalkaliani praised their role and said that the Georgian Dream government is doing its utmost to help Georgian emigrants.
Meeting with the Georgian diaspora. Photo: Foreign Ministry press office.
In short about Georgia-Sweden relations
- Sweden ranks third on the list of bilateral donors of Georgia, right after the United States of America and Germany. SIDA is one of the major contributors to Georgia’s democratic development.
- Along with Poland, Sweden was one of the initiators of the EU’s Eastern Partnership program.
- “10 years since the creation of the programme , it can be described as one of the most important political initiatives for our country, elevating EU-Georgian relations to new heights,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.
- Sweden is a firm supporter of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and supports and co-sponsors the (IDP) resolution regarding internally displaced persons of Georgia.
- Sweden is represented by 19 monitors in the EUMM in Georgia, patrolling all the critical zones along the occupation line.
- Between 2016 and 2019 Sweden has allocated more than €2 million to Georgia to support the implementation of the action plan of the Council of Europe.
- H&M and Volvo brands are also Swedish investments on the Georgian market.
- Direct flights from Kutaisi to Stockholm are scheduled to launch in the spring of 2020.
- Thanks to the Swedish SI project more than 200 Georgian citizens were given a chance to study in Swedish universities.
The ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, The Greens Movement of Georgia and the nongovernmental organization Keep Georgia Tidy (KGT) begins implementing of a new project “Keep Georgia Tidy” with the support of Sweden government.
Filmmaker Levan Akin's Swedish-Georgian-French co-production And Then We Danced has been picked as Sweden's submission for the Best International Feature Film competition at the next Academy Awards.
A friendly football match was dedicated to the tenth anniversary of Eastern Partnership (EaP) and Georgian-Swedish friendship this Friday.
The European Union, Sweden and Austria are teaming up to develop mountain tourism and organic agriculture in Georgia’s Zemo Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and Imereti mountainous regions with a budget of €6.8 million.
The Hub for Healthy Gastronomy and Organic Products in the Mountains (GRETA Hub) has launched in Tsageri, a small mountainous town in western Georgia’s Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region.
The European market is ready to import the products of Georgian companies, said Erik Illes, the Head of Development Cooperation and Deputy Head of the Embassy of Sweden adding that “there is lots of potential.” He urged Georgian companies to work in networks and share experience about trying to access the European market.
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde visited Georgia earlier today, stating that her country is a ‘strong supporter’ of Georgian Euro-Atlantic integration. During her meetings with the Georgian PM, president and foreign minister, Linde praised the efforts of the Georgian government to hold a free and transparent election and vowed that Sweden, as the future chair country of OSCE, will take further steps for a peaceful resolution of conflicts in Georgia.
OSCE chairwoman Ann Linde visited Georgia earlier today and reaffirmed the OSCE’s ‘strong support’ to Georgia in resolving conflicts and strengthening institutions. She has already met with Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and the country’s civil society representatives. Linde, who is Swedish FM, has stated that peaceful resolution of Russian-Georgian conflict is among the priorities of Sweden’s chairmanship of OSCE.