Foreign Minister of Denmark Visits Georgia

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, was on a working visit to Georgia on May 14-15 during which the Danish Embassy in Georgia was officially opened. He met with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, the Foreign Minister of Georgia, Ilia Darchiashvili and the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia and the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Levan Davitashvili. In addition, he has visited the occupation line to see the current situation near the occupied territory.

Meeting with the Prime Minister

According to the Georgian Government, during the meeting, the Prime Minister thanked Lars Lokke Rasmussen for Denmark’s continuous support of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration. They also discussed the steps Georgia is taking to obtain the EU candidate status.

The Danish Foreign Minister reaffirmed Denmark’s strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during a meeting at the Government Administration. Discussions centered on the existing relations between the two countries, including energy, defense, tourism, and other fields, and ways to further deepen cooperation. The importance of developing trade and economic ties and Georgia’s favorable investment environment, were emphasized. The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of the opening of the Danish Embassy in Tbilisi.

Meeting with the Foreign Minister of Georgia

Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, referred to the visit of Lars Lokke Rasmussen as “a clear expression of Denmark’s support for our country” during the joint press conference held following the meeting with his Danish counterpart.

According to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, Lars Lokke Rasmussen highlighted Danish support towards Georgia’s EU aspirations, stating: “I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that my country’s answer to the candidate status will be yes. You will receive candidate status in the autumn when we will see the recommendations from the European Commission. It is a merit-based route to the EU. All this is related to the Copenhagen criteria. We want to help Georgia meet these criteria. If Georgia fulfills these criteria based on recommendations and decisions, Denmark will support granting candidate status”. In addition, he noted: “Now it is up to Georgia to realize its ambitions and aspirations. I want to assure you that Denmark will support you on this path”.

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili, discussed Georgia’s progress in the European Union accession process with his Danish counterpart. According to the MFA, Darchiashvili informed him about Georgia’s achievements in meeting the 12 priorities set by the European Commission. He expressed gratitude for Denmark’s support and for the expressed commitment to assist Georgia in successfully navigating all stages of accession. The foreign ministers also addressed Georgia’s integration into NATO. Darchiashvili thanked Denmark for its significant contribution to the implementation of Substantial NATO-Georgia Package and emphasized Georgia’s intent to enhance cooperation with Denmark to advance both the political and practical aspects of the country’s NATO accession process.

During their meeting, the foreign ministers of Georgia and Denmark discussed in detail regional security challenges and the challenging humanitarian situation in Georgia’s occupied territories. The Danish side reiterated the unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ilia Darchiashvili and Lars Lokke Rasmussen highlighted the economic cooperation prospects and applauded the resumption of direct flights, which will bolster tourism, facilitate business engagement, and foster people-to-people interactions. The Georgian Foreign Minister underlined the importance of long-term cooperation in the field of energy and noted the visit of a Danish business delegation expressing interest in this sector as further evidence of robust bilateral relations.

Meeting with the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development

According to Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, met with Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Levan Davitashvili. The meeting was also attended by First Deputy Minister Romeo Mikautadze, Director of the Georgian Energy Development Fund Jaba Khmaladze and a group of businessmen accompanying the Danish government delegation on its visit to Georgia.

During the meeting, the priority areas of bilateral relations between Georgia and Denmark, as well as cooperation in various regional formats were discussed. The Kingdom of Denmark’s support for Georgia’s European integration was emphasized, with a focus on economic cooperation in transport and logistics, renewable energy, trade, tourism, and other areas. The launch of direct air traffic between the two countries from the end of 2023 was positively assessed, highlighting its potential to boost bilateral economic relations.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particular attention was paid to cooperation in the area of transport and logistics, with a shared interest in increasing cargo turnover between Europe and Asia via the middle corridor passing through Georgia. The development of the appropriate transport and logistics infrastructure was highlighted as crucial. The Georgian side provided information about important projects aimed at overcoming this challenge, including the expansion of the port of Poti, construction of the deep-water port of Anaklia, and modernization of the Georgian railway.

Renewable energy was another area of focus, with a positive assessment of the regional project that aims to connect the energy systems of Georgia and the South Caucasus to the European Union through the Black Sea energy cable. The parties also discussed deepening cooperation in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Finally, the parties outlined priority directions for further development of relations between Georgia and Denmark. Emphasis was placed on the positive impact that the opening of the Danish embassy in Georgia would have on deepening cooperation between the two countries.

The opening of the Danish Embassy

According to the Foreign Ministry of Denmark, Lars Løkke Rasmussen has officially participated in the opening ceremony of the Embassy of Denmark on May 15. The Minister stated: “It is an honor to officially open the Danish Embassy in Georgia. The embassy is a testament to our historically close bond and Denmark’s support for Georgia’s European aspirations. DK is ready to assist Georgia on the path for EU candidate status.”

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