FM highlights “special, civilisational” ties with Europe at annual Ambassadorial Conference

Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday highlighted the country’s “special, civilisational” ties with Europe, and further pointed out that “our European partners rightly believe that Georgia belongs to the European family”, in comments at the ongoing annual Ambassadorial Conference in Georgia's capital city of Tbilisi. 

Bringing together heads of diplomatic services of Georgia abroad, the event saw Darchiashvili extend his “special gratitude to each diplomat” for their contribution “to the success of the common cause”. 

Since the restoration of Georgia's independence [in 1991], there has probably never been a period when Georgian diplomacy did not make great efforts to ensure that our country - with a centuries-old state tradition, but at the same time a young democracy - took its rightful place on the world stage, which was further strengthened by the granting of the [EU membership] candidate status [earlier this month]”, Darchiashvili told the audience. 

The top Georgian diplomat stressed the principles of the world order that had been an “important foundation for diplomatic activities” in recent decades had been “disrupted” since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In this situation, taking every step on our part is a big challenge and requires us to be very careful and prudent. In such an environment, when it is difficult even for countries with much greater resources than us to move in the right direction, in accordance with the country's interests, we were able to not only ensure peace and security of our country in the past year, but also we laid a solid foundation for its sustainable development and a clear, irreversible perspective of historical civilisational choice”, he continued. 

Darchiashvili also highlighted the “most important achievement in the history of Georgia's European integration” with the European Council’s granting of the EUmembership candidate status to the country. 

Photo: MFA of Georgia

With the leadership of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the fruitful work of the Parliament, the coordinated and highly professional work of Government agencies and, of course, our great diplomatic efforts and team spirit, we were able to take another clear step towards achieving the goal that had been our cherished dream for centuries”, the Minister noted. 

“We took this step with dignity, protecting common European values and the interests of our country. As a candidate, Georgia's accession to the European Union became irreversible. For further success, we will continue to implement the reform agenda based on public and national interests and will reach a decision to start [accession] negotiations with the EU”, Darchiashvili told the event. 

The Minister also highlighted cooperation with EU institutions and member states as “fruitful”, and further noted it played a “special role in the positive decision of the European Commission and later the European Council”.

Amid globalisation, in order to protect the interests of Georgia, we will continue close cooperation with our strategic partner and friendly states in the world. We attach special importance to relations with the United States, which supports Georgia's European path. The current year was no less successful in terms of the further development of cooperation with our neighbouring countries, and it is worth emphasising the growing role of Georgia in promoting peace and stable development”, he told the Conference. 

He also stressed “all successful steps” taken throughout the year had served “only one goal - to ensure the country's security, peace and make the achievement of development and prosperity irreversible”.

Darchiashvili added the outcomes would still be “insufficient” without reintegration of the country's Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions, and further noted the Government continued to work towards peaceful deoccupation and restoration of territorial integrity as the “main priority”.