“Strong partnership” between Georgia, France in focus of meeting between PM, French Senate delegation
At the meeting, held in the Government Administration, the sides highlighted Georgia as “a reliable ally” of France and the EU, which continued to promote peace and security in the region. Photo via Government Administration
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The “strong partnership” between Georgia and France, including friendly relations between the legislative bodies, was in focus at a meeting on Tuesday between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the delegation of the French Senate’s Committee for European Affairs, led by the Committee Chair Jean-François Rapin.
The parties discussed the European Council’s decision to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status last year, with Kobakhidze noting that the next goal for the country was to open accession talks with the bloc and affirming his Government’s efforts to achieve success in this direction.
At the meeting, held in the Government Administration, the sides highlighted Georgia as “a reliable ally” of France and the EU, which continued to promote peace and security in the region.
The Georgian PM thanked Rapin for France’s support of Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Friday expressed his confidence that Georgia and France would enhance their ties in his message to Stéphane Séjourné, who on Thursday was appointed the new Foreign Minister of his country.
A delegation of the European Affairs Committee of the French Senate, headed by its Chair Jean-François Rapin, on Tuesday visited the central Georgian village of Odzisi to observe the administrative line separating the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the rest of the country.
Defence cooperation between Georgia and France was discussed on Friday in a meeting between the Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani and Sheraz Gasri, the French Ambassador to the country.
The French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Wednesday “sincerely congratulated” Irakli Kobakhidze on his appointment as Georgia’s new Prime Minister, wishing him “great success” in fulfilling “this honourable mission for the benefit of the Georgian people”.