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Georgian FM Attends Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministerial

Ilia Darchiashvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the Eastern Partnership (EaP) ministerial meeting in Brussels on 12 December, which brought together the FMs of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine, as well as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and the EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi.

According to the Council of the European Union’s press release, the meeting’s focus was on assessing the future of the Eastern Partnership, as well as existing security challenges and the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine for the region.

In that context, EU-EaP participants exchanged views on how the EaP can “further contribute to strengthening stability and prosperity in the region,” as well as how it can “best support” partners’ resilience, bring the EU and Eastern partners closer together, and ensure the “advancement” of rule of law and reforms in the region.

Meeting with the High Representative

The Foreign Minister also had the opportunity to meet with High Representative Borrell within the framework of the ministerial to discuss EU-Eastern Partnership relations.

In that context, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported that both sides positively assessed the ministerial meeting as a chance to discuss common challenges and opportunities for cooperation.

The two sides also focused on Georgia’s path toward European integration and the FM briefed the High Rep. about the progress that the country has achieved thus far in implementing the European Commission’s 12 recommendations.

Additionally, as part of their meeting, FM Darchiashvili and High Rep. Borrell discussed priority areas of Georgia-EU cooperation, including the “importance of economic and sectoral integration” with the EU, especially in the transport, energy, and digital fields.

Before concluding the meeting, the two sides drew attention to the security challenges in Georgia and the European Union Monitoring Mission’s (EUMM) “positive role” in the process of maintaining peace on the ground.

In that context, the FM thanked the EU for the recent allocation of a financial package for advancing Georgia’s defense capabilities.

Meeting with Commissioner Várhelyi

While in Brussels, FM Darchiashvili also met with Commissioner Várhelyi to discuss bilateral relations and Georgia’s efforts on the path of EU integration.

Per the Foreign Ministry’s press release, FM Darchiashvili and the Commissioner focused on the “importance of economic and sectoral rapprochement with the European Union and full integration into the internal market of the European Union, as well as the need for closer cooperation with the Eastern European Union for the effective implementation of flagship partnership projects.”

In that context, the two sides welcomed the “flagship projects” of Georgia within the framework of the Eastern Partnership economic and investment plan, which will “contribute to the strengthening of sustainability, and economic, and sectoral rapprochement.”

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

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