Georgian FM says Georgia one of EU’s “key allies” amid Czech counterpart’s visit
Georgian foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday hosted his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky. Photo: foreign ministry press office
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Georgian foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday described his country as one of “key allies” of the European Union in the region at a Tbilisi press conference with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky.
Darchiashvili welcomed the visit of Lipavsky - amid the Czech republic’s chairmanship of the Council of the European Union - as “very important”, and said it confirmed the country's “firm support” for Georgia’s EU integration.
Georgia is one of the EU’s key allies in the region. High-level visits from Brussels are scheduled by the end of this year, which will be a good opportunity to discuss questions of common interest and challenges in the region”, Darchiashvili said. He also praised Czech authorities for their “important role” in the “socioeconomic transformation” of Georgia and the implementation of reforms required for the country’s European integration.
It is my pleasure to welcome my Czech colleague @JanLipavsky to ????????. This visit carries high importance, especially under the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU. We had a chance to explore the core areas of ????????-???????? bilateral agenda and the prospects for ????????'s ???????? integration. pic.twitter.com/IXakc6b32k
— Ilia Darchiashvili (@iliadarch) November 10, 2022
He noted the recognition of Georgia’s European perspective by the European Council in June had opened the door to the country’s accession to the bloc and upgraded the Georgia-EU relations to a “completely new level”.
After briefing his colleague on the Georgian government’s work to meet the 12-point conditions set by the European Commission to grant the country the membership candidate status, the FM also discussed the existing “fruitful cooperation” between the two countries and prospects of further strengthening the ties.
The officials also discussed regional and global challenges sparked by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and current security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.
While in Georgia, the Czech official will also meet with prime minister Irakli Garibashvili.
Bilateral relations between Georgia and the Czech Republic and Georgia’s prospects for European integration were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between foreign minister Ilia Darchiashvili and his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky.
The Czech Republic will “do its utmost” during the country’s European Union Presidency to support the Associated Trio countries of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in a “fast-track” EU membership, Miloš Vystrčil, the President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic said on Tuesday.
Georgia's air navigation service provider Sakaeronavigatsia and Czech company ALES have signed an agreement on updating and configuring a backup system used at Georgian airports, the Economy Ministry announced on Tuesday.
The close cooperation between Georgia and the Czech Republic was discussed on Tuesday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Miloš Vystrčil.
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