Ilia Darchiashvili Visits Brussels to Meet with EU and NATO Officials
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili is on a working visit to Brussels from 21 to 23 March. During his visit he will meet with the leaders of the European Union and NATO.
According to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 21, he met with the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi. The sides discussed Georgia’s reform agenda in the context of EU integration. The parties focused on the fulfillment of the 12 conditions given to Georgia by the European Commission to achieve candidate’ country status’s for EU membership. The discussion also included the European Commission’s recently published analytical report. Darchiashvili expressed hope that “Georgia’s efforts will be properly reflected in the subsequent decisions.” The Foreign Ministry’s statement says: “The minister thanked the European Commissioner for his active support of Georgia in the process of joining the European Union.”
After meeting with Darchiashvili, Oliver Varhelyi wrote on Twitter: “All political forces need to cooperate to move the reform agenda forward,” adding that the main topic of discussion was the fulfillment of the 12 priorities.
The way to address the 12 priorities set out in the June 2022 Opinion was our main topic of the discussion with FM @iliadarch
— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) March 21, 2023
All political forces need to cooperate to move the reform agenda forward.
We speed up the #EIP’s implementation for the benefit of the 🇬🇪s.#Georgia pic.twitter.com/CHrEkDerRr
Ilia Darchiashvili also met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansso. At the meeting, the MFA said, the sides discussed Georgia’s accession agenda to the European Union, as well as the reforms being implemented and planned by the Georgian government. “During the conversation, the political and practical importance of visa-free travel to the European Union was once again underlined. The parties also reviewed future issues of cooperation and steps that would contribute to the effective protection of the conditions for the visa-free regime,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
Had a meeting with @YlvaJohansson – EU Commissioner for Home Affairs. We discussed 🇬🇪's EU integration agenda. Our country has successfully implemented visa-free travel-related recommendations. We focused on the huge benefits that visa liberalisation brings to the people of 🇬🇪. pic.twitter.com/ftbkHWxZrP
— Ilia Darchiashvili (@iliadarch) March 21, 2023
During his working visit, Darchiashvili met with Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy. They emphasized the successful cooperation between Georgia and the EU in the field of energy. The discussion focused on priority areas for Europe, including green energy, energy security, and diversification of energy sources. According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “The parties also discussed the significance of the Black Sea underwater electric cable project, its implementation stages, and cooperation with the European Union throughout the process.”
In addition, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia met with David McAllister, the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), as reported by the MFA. The primary focus of the meeting was on Georgia’s accession process to the European Union, with an emphasis on the importance of implementing reforms during the process. The statement further highlighted the European Parliament’s continued support of Georgia’s European aspirations, particularly in light of the security challenges in the region. Additionally, the Minister notified the European Parliament member on the Georgian government’s plans for sectoral integration with the EU.
On March 22, Ilia Darchiashvili, met with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Relations and Security, Josep Borrell, to discuss the progress made by Georgia in implementing the 12 points of the European Commission. Borrell also took to Twitter to commend his open exchange with Darchiashvili and stressed the importance of implementing all Venice Commission recommendations. He also highlighted the crucial role of civil society. The regional security situation was also discussed, and the EU reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Georgia in strengthening its resilience.
On March 23, Ilia Darchiashvili met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană. In a tweet posted by the Georgian Foreign Minister, he expressed gratitude towards NATO’s support for strengthening Georgia’s security, resilience, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He reiterated Georgia’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration. The meeting was followed by the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting, with the participation of the Foreign Minister.
This news was updated on 23. 03. 23 to include a meeting with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Relations and Security and Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General
Also Read:
- 15/03/2023 – Georgia’s Foreign Minister Visits Sweden, Discusses Bilateral Ties and EU Integration
- 15/02/2023 – Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili Meets his Slovak Counterpart Rastislav Káčer in Bratislava
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
