President Margvelashvili Visits Lithuania

President Giorgi Margvelashvili and President Dalia Grybauskaite, March 30, 2017. Photo: Presidential Administration

President Giorgi Margvelashvili made his first symbolic visa-free trip to the European Union when he arrived in Lithuania for an official visit on March 30.

Accompanied by Georgian MPs and a group of ethnic Abkhaz and ethnic Ossetian citizens, as well as an ethnic Georgian IDP from Tskhinvali Region, President Margvelashvili emphasized that the visa-free regime “will further expand all those opportunities that we share with Europe and the European Union.”

“I have come from the Eastern European country to the EU member country, together with the members of different Georgian ethnic groups and we are delighted that our relationship with Europe is further strengthened in this regards,” President Margvelashvili stated at his arrival in Vilnius.

On March 30, President Margvelashvili was welcomed by his Lithuanian colleague Dalia Grybauskaite, who was one of the first state leaders to have congratulated Tbilisi with the introduction of the visa-free regime with the European Union. “From now on our nations will be even closer. Your commitment to freedom and democracy is as an example for the region. Lithuania is your faithful friend and will always support Georgia,” she said in her video message on March 27.

At the meeting with President Grybauskaite, President Margvelashvili expressed his gratitude for Lithuania’s active support to Georgia’s European perspective and the visa liberalization process. “Georgia constantly feels the support of Lithuanian authorities and the Lithuanian people. Today’s visit is an example of this special friendship," he stated.

President Margvelashvili’s administration reported that the two also touched upon the upcoming NATO Summit, which is to be attended by NATO member states only. “I have asked President Grybauskaitė, our traditional friend who has represented Georgia’s interests on many summits and at many international fora, to pay particular attention to Georgia’s agenda and raise the country’s positions on behalf of myself,” Margvelashvili stated.

The Lithuanian President’s administration said in its press release of the event the two Heads of State also discussed the security situation and threats posed by the Russian Federation. President Grybauskaite stated at the meeting that Lithuania strongly supports Georgia’s aspiration for NATO membership.

President Grybauskaite underlined Georgia’s “huge progress” and its role as a “leader” in the Eastern Partnership, but noted that it was necessary to keep up the pace on the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office reforms, as well as the civil service depoliticization and the implementation of anti-corruption measures. The President also stressed that media freedom and pluralism is critical for democratic development.

The sides also discussed the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Here, Grybauskaite stated that Lithuania supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and strongly condemns the slow annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia through illegitimate elections and referendum.

As part of his visit to Lithuania, President Margvelashvili held talks with Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Parliament Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)