Massimiliano D’Antuono, the newly appointed Italian Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday presented his credentials to the country’s Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili.
The officials welcomed the “close, friendly” ties and “fruitful” cooperation between the two countries, which they said were “based on common European values and interests”, the Georgian foreign office said.
Darchiashvili “gratefully” noted Italy's “unwavering” support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also emphasised the importance of its support in Georgia receiving the European Union membership candidate status in December.
The meeting focused on Georgia's accession to the EU, with Darchiashvili informing the Italian diplomat in detail about the progress and upcoming steps in the direction.
Congratulations to @maxdantuono, new Ambassador of Italy to Georgia ????????????????????@ItalyinGeorgia pic.twitter.com/7diuM1gIDl
— Italy MFA (@ItalyMFA_int) January 15, 2024
The top Georgian diplomat expressed his hope that Italy, as one of the founding countries of the European Union, would “actively” continue to support Georgia on its path to joining the bloc.
D'Antuono, for his part, confirmed Italy's “firm” support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as European integration.
The parties expressed their readiness to “further” strengthen the political, economic and sectoral cooperation between Georgia and Italy.