PM Garibashvili Visits Brussels

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is currently on a working visit to the Kingdom of Belgium. He has already met with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, the European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi and the President of the Chamber of Representatives of the Kingdom of Belgium, Eliane Tillieux.

Prime Minister Garibashvili delivered a speech at the “Europalia” international arts festival and hosted a reception to commemorate Georgia’s Independence Day. In his address, he highlighted Georgia’s achievements on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration, discussed the historical significance of Georgia’s culture, emphasized Georgia’s support towards Ukraine and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to realizing the goal of EU integration.

Meeting with the President of the European Council

According to the press service of the Government Administration, European Council President Charles Michel hosted the Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at a working dinner. The press service specifies that “the primary focus of the meeting was Georgia’s European Union accession process.”

The parties deliberated on the progress made by Georgia in fulfilling the 12 priorities set by the European Commission. “The leaders noted that the recognition of the country’s European perspective is a historic decision and emphasized that the granting of candidate status to Georgia at the end of the year is of critical importance for the country, including from the point of view of ending polarization,” – states the Government Administration.

The sides also addressed the security situation in the region and the difficult conditions in Georgia’s occupied territories. They stressed the importance of Georgia’s role in promoting peace and stability in the region. The Prime Minister emphasized the significance of the EU’s involvement in fostering peace, security, and strengthening transportation, energy, and infrastructure connections between Georgia and the EU in the Black Sea region.

At the end of the meeting, Irakli Garibashvili expressed gratitude to Charles Michel for his personal dedication to supporting Georgia’s EU accession process and endorsing Georgia’s European perspective.

Meeting with the Belgian counterpart

On June 14, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. The primary focus of the meeting was the strong partnership between Georgia and Belgium, encompassing both bilateral and multilateral dimensions. The leaders explored avenues to enhance cooperation across diverse domains such as trade, economy, investments, tourism, education, science, and culture.

According to the Government Administration of Georgia, particular attention was paid to the significance of the decision to acknowledge Georgia’s European perspective. It was pointed out that Georgia has nearly fulfilled 12 recommendations put forth by the European Commission. Irakli Garibashvili stressed the utmost importance of granting candidate status to Georgia by the end of the year, as it holds significance for both Georgia’s European future and its geopolitical standing. The Prime Minister expressed the belief that Georgia deserves this candidate status, which would contribute to reducing polarization within the country.

Following the prime ministers’ meeting, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Development Cooperation of the Federal Public Service of the Kingdom of Belgium to enhance cooperation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia says that a document will enhance high-level political, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries. The agreement aims to facilitate regular political consultations regarding European and Euro-Atlantic integration matters. Moreover, the memorandum establishes a framework for collaboration in the field of education, encompassing diplomatic training, science, and culture.

The memorandum acknowledges the historical importance of the European Council granting Georgia a European perspective. Emphasis is placed on the imperative of fully maximizing the potential of the Association Agreement, encompassing the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area element. The document affirms backing for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Meeting with the European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili met the European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.

The Government Administration’s press service reports that during the meeting, Prime Minister Garibashvili provided Olivér Várhelyi with detailed information regarding the implementation of the 12 priorities outlined by the European Commission. PM Garibashvili emphasized the historic decision to acknowledge Georgia’s European perspective and underscored the strategic significance of granting the country candidate status by the end of the year.

During the meeting, the sides discussed connectivity initiatives in the Black Sea region and the prospects of enhancing transport, energy, and infrastructure links between Georgia and the European Union. Discussions also revolved around the security situation in the area. The Prime Minister also emphasized Georgia’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.

After the meeting, Olivér Várhelyi took to Twitter, writing: “Encouraged to expedite the implementation of the 12 priorities set by the Council so that Georgia can make progress on its EU path. Georgia’s future lies in the EU.”

Meeting with the President of the Chamber of Representatives

Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, met with Eliane Tillieux, the President of the Chamber of Representatives of the Kingdom of Belgium.

The Government Administration reports that during the meeting, the parties discussed various areas of cooperation, highlighting the importance of inter-parliamentary ties and expressing satisfaction with the strong bilateral and multilateral partnership. There was a focus on expanding collaboration in trade, economy, investments, tourism, science, education, and culture. PM Garibashvili provided an update on Georgia’s progress towards EU accession and emphasized the significance of the country’s European perspective, urging the granting of candidate status by year-end.

Garibashvili highlighted the significance of Georgia’s participation as the host country in the prestigious Europalia cultural festival, emphasizing its potential to raise awareness about Georgia’s European culture in Belgium and Europe.

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