PM Garibashvili at EaP Summit: Georgia 'diligent' on its EU integration path
Garibashvili (L) met with European Council President Charles Michel (R) earlier today. Photo: Prime Minister's press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has said that Georgia is being 'diligent' on its EU integration path at the 6th Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit held in Brussels today.
Garibashvili met with European Council President Charles Michel and discussed Georgia's reform agenda on the country's EU integration path.
Ambitious benchmarks are set, and we are diligent on this path, Garibashvili noted.
Garibashvili (L) discussed Georgia's reform agenda with Michel (R). Photo: Prime Minister's press office
Had tête-à-tête w/ @CharlesMichel in the frames of the 6th #EaP Summit. Reassured ????????'s commitment to the reform agenda on its ???????? integration path. ????????& ???????? have a strong & steady partnership. Ambitious benchmarks are set & we are diligent on this path. pic.twitter.com/zmW0PLG1zQ
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) December 15, 2021
Garibashvili, along with Moldovan and Ukrainian presidents Maia Sandu and Volodymyr Zelensky, attended a meeting organised by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
The meeting focused on strategic importance of the Eastern Partnership countries, and the role of Black Sea in ensuring Euro-Atlantic security.
Lithuania is a staunch supporter of the European perspective to Trio partners in the East, Nausedas said.
Hosted ????????- Associated trio ????????, ????????, ???????? leaders’ meeting in Brussel today. Progress they made in past 12 years is tremendous. We need to keep reforms going.???????? is a staunch supporter of the European perspective to Trio partners in the East. More for more principle is key. #EaPSummit pic.twitter.com/Pfalxyje3Y
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) December 15, 2021
At the meeting with Estonian PM Kaja Kallas, Garibashvili thanked Kallas for Estonia's support of Georgia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and NATO aspirations.
Great talks w/ ????????'s @kajakallas. Various dimensions for enhanced bilateral co-op in the fields of innovation, digital technologies, education & defense discussed. Grateful for ????????'s vocal support of Georgia's sovereignty & territorial integrity, as well as ???????? & #NATO aspirations. pic.twitter.com/3kSaydAVEa
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) December 15, 2021
Kallas added that the leaders discussed European security and the importance of democratic principles.
Met @GharibashviliGe & discussed the importance of democratic principles and cooperation within #EasternPartnership. Focused also on European security and the right of every country to make its own foreign and security policy choices. No third country can have a say in that. pic.twitter.com/cWcyR1zK7p
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) December 15, 2021
In the framework of the summit, Garibashvili has also met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi earlier today.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that Garibashvili and Stoltenberg had a 'timely' discussion regarding Georgia's North Atlantic aspirations.
Our plans in terms of NATO integration are not changing, and we are going to be consistent [in our efforts], Zalkaliani added.
The Eastern Partnership, launched in 2009, is a joint initiative of the EU member states and their Eastern European partners – Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine.
However, in June 2021, Belarus suspended its membership in response to strict economic sanctions imposed by the EU.
Ten years after the creation of the Eastern Partnership initiative, the Georgian Foreign Ministry declared that the country had taken all the opportunities which it offered.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has held a meeting with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi in Brussels earlier today.
Lithuanian MEP Andrius Kubilius has stated that it is time to ‘move forward with the real Euroatlantic integration’ of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, noting that otherwise ‘it will become clear that the future of these countries is sacrificed for the appeasement of Putin.'
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has announced that tomorrow a Georgian delegation headed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili will leave for Brussels to participate in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit on December 15, calling it an ‘extremely important event’ to bring Georgia closer to the European Union (EU).
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a meeting earlier today wherein a ‘clear vision of Georgia’s eventual integration to NATO’ was discussed. Garibashvili stated that time has come to advance the country’s integration and ‘make concrete political decisions.’
The Eastern Partnership (EaP) summit held yesterday in Brussels has concluded with the adoption of a declaration which acknowledges the initiative of the associated trio uniting Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova ‘to enhance cooperation with the EU.'
Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has stated that the EU and Georgia are strategic partners, noting that ‘we continue to support resilience, recovery and reforms’ in the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Vice President of the European Commission Maros Sefcovic in Brussels earlier today, where he stated that Georgia’s European course is ‘irreversible,’ hence plans to apply for EU membership in 2024. The outcomes of yesterday’s Eastern Partnership Summit and Georgia’s progress on its path to the EU were discussed at the meeting, the government of Georgia's press office reported.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has summed up government activities in 2021 and discussed future plans earlier today, saying that the country's healthcare programme will receive increased funding of 20 million GEL (about $6.46 m./€5.57 m.) in 2022.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili have hosted foreign diplomats accredited to Georgia at New Year's receptions.
Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has stated that he shares the Georgian opposition’s concerns over the ‘stalled’ electoral and judiciary reforms ‘which go to the essence of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA),’ the letter sent by Borrell to Georgian opposition leaders reads.
The Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament on Tuesday prepared a draft resolution on the country’s integration into the European Union, calling on EU member states and institutions to take all necessary steps to accelerate Georgia's accession to the Union.