Georgian PM welcomes “close and friendly” relations on France’s National Day
The head of the Government also noted the countries had “excellent” cooperation in defence and security fields, which he said had been a “strategic pillar” of bilateral relations, including in NATO and European Union-led peacekeeping operations ensuring “international peace and security”. Photo: Government Administration.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday welcomed the “particularly close and friendly” relations based on “mutual trust, respect and common European values” between Georgia and France in his message congratulating the French people on their National Day.
At a reception hosted by the French Embassy in Tbilisi, Garibashvili celebrated the “freedom, equality and unity” of France, said Georgia was “proud to have a long-standing reliable partner” in the country and to share “common goals” of “peaceful, sovereign and progressive Europe” with it.
The PM also highlighted the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and noted they have cooperated “very closely and diligently”, a process he said had brought Georgia many “tangible and mutually beneficial” results.
He stressed the “multidimensional and fruitful” cooperation, strengthened since 2019 by the French-Georgian Dialogue Format, which he said aimed to further strengthen cooperation in politics, defence, security, trade, finance, culture and education.
The Government head also highlighted the “invaluable” assistance of France as one of the “largest international donors” to the country over the recent years, including through the involvement of the Agency for French Development, and emphasised the “growing dynamics” in the fields of education and academic exchange programs.
The head of the Government also noted the countries had “excellent” cooperation in defence and security fields, which he said had been a “strategic pillar” of bilateral relations, including in NATO and European Union-led peacekeeping operations ensuring “international peace and security”.
Garibashvili expressed his “sincere gratitude” towards France for standing by Georgian citizens and playing an “important role” in the ceasefire agreement that ended the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, as well as the country’s support on the “irreversible” path of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, which he called a “historical choice” of Georgian people.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday congratulated the French people on their National Day. Darchiashvili stressed he “firmly” believed the “excellent relations” of “friendship and fruitful cooperation” between the two states would continue to develop “for the benefit of our nations”.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed its “absolute astonishment” with “slanderous accusations” by Tea Katukia, Georgia’s former Ambassador to France, after the former diplomat alleged “continuous pressure” from the Ministry and claimed to have identified “serious violations and structural malfunctions” at the Embassy before her resignation.
French Ambassador to Georgia Diego Colas on Thursday said Georgia was considered a “strategic country” in the Black Sea region.
The decision of the European Council to grant Georgia the European perspective and the security challenges in the Black Sea region were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Emmanuel Macron, the President of France.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday held a farewell meeting with Carl Hartzell, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, with the officials discussing the existing cooperation between Georgia and the bloc in various fields before the latter’s end of term in the country.
The main areas of cooperation between the countries and the European perspective granted by the European Council to Georgia in June were discussed on Saturday in the meeting between the Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Isabelle Dumont, the diplomatic advisor of the French president.
Matters of cooperation and partnership between Georgia and France were discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and French ambassador Diego Colas, as the latter’s term representing his country in Georgia is coming to a close.
Georgian diplomat Gocha Javakhishvili has been appointed as Georgia’s new ambassador to France, the foreign ministry confirmed to agenda.ge on Tuesday.
Dynamics of the existing relationship between Georgia and France and prospects for deepening it were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and Gocha Javakhishvili, the newly appointed ambassador to France.