Georgian PM discusses ties, country’s EU aspirations with new Dutch Ambassador
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday hosted Meline Arakelian, the new Ambassador of the Netherlands to Georgia. Photo: Government press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday hosted Meline Arakelian, the new Ambassador of the Netherlands to Georgia, and discussed the “dynamically developing” bilateral ties and his country’s European integration prospects ahead of the European Union’s forthcoming decisions on Georgia's candidate status later this year.
The discussion at the PM’s office highlighted the “fruitful” bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two states, as well as the Netherlands’ support for Georgia’s European integration, the Government press office said.
The PM briefed the diplomat about his Government's efforts to meet the reform agenda outlined by the bloc last year for granting the country its candidacy, and emphasised the importance of the EU’s positive decision on the status.
Meline Arakelian, the newly appointed Dutch Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday presented her letter of credence to the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to formally start the diplomat’s stint in the country.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday held a farewell meeting with the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Georgia, Maaike van Koldam, with the latter’s diplomatic term in the country coming to a close.
The Netherlands was Georgia's major foreign direct investor country in the first quarter of this year with $239.6 million, followed by Japan with $63.2 million and the United States with $54.7 million, the National Statistics Office of Georgia reported in its latest figures on Friday.
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said Georgia's aspirations to join the European Union were “well received” in the Netherlands.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's European Union Integration Committee, on Tuesday said the Government’s European partners were “acknowledging” the “mistake” of last year’s decision not to grant the country the European Union membership candidate status.
Bilateral relations between Georgia and the Netherlands were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Meline Arakelian, the new Ambassador of the Netherlands to Georgia.
The importance of “fruitful” cooperation between law enforcement agencies of Georgia and the Netherlands was discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Meline Arakelian, the new Ambassador of the Netherlands to the country.