Georgian, French foreign ministers discuss Georgia’s EU bid questionnaire

The applications for European Union membership by the Associated Trio countries of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and the procedures related to their self-assessment questionnaires for the European Commission were discussed by Ilia Darchiashvili, the Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister, and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian at the EU External Relations Council in Brussels on Monday.

The two officials noted France's support for the European aspirations of  the three states, highlighting the country’s role in the process given the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministers said they hoped EU member states would support the European aspirations of the countries by granting them candidate status for membership.

The meeting also focused on the security environment in the Black Sea region and the challenges facing Georgia, as well as recent developments in the Russian-occupied regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).

Speaking about bilateral relations, Darchiashvili and Le Drian also reviewed relations between their states within the format of the French-Georgian political dialogue, named after Dimitri Amilakhvari, a Georgian officer and a national hero of France.

The Georgian Foreign Minister is holding meetings with his colleagues from EU member states in Brussels, within the framework of the EU External Relations Council.