EU, Georgia Hold Sixth Strategic Security Dialogue
The sixth high-level EU–Georgia Strategic Security Dialogue took place on 23 January in Brussels, where, according to the official press-release of the EU External Action Service, the parties reaffirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation in foreign and security policy, in line with the the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, and “new strategic phase of EU-Georgia relations” which the European Council’s decision to grant Georgia the candidacy.
The parties discussed dynamics and priorities in the fields of defense and security, “including support for building Georgia’s security resilience to address hybrid threats.” Georgia and the EU have also exchanged views on promoting the maritime security in the Black Sea.
Among other issues, Georgia and the European Union also discussed the consequences of the 2008 Georgia-Russia war, as well as the peaceful conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts. The current situation in Georgia’s occupied territories was also reviewed at the meeting. “Both sides stressed the necessity of the implementation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire Agreement by Russia, and effective functioning of the Geneva International Discussions,” says EEAS press release.
The parties have emphasized the importance of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia and “underlined the necessity of ensuring the full implementation of its mandate throughout the whole territory of Georgia.”
The EU once again “reaffirmed its unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”
Among other issues, the parties also exchanged views on the repercussions of Russian’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the South Caucasus and the Middle East. In this context, both sides “reaffirmed the shared interest of developing alternative transportation and energy supply routes including in the Black Sea through Georgia.”
“We welcome the decision of the European Council to grant the status of candidate country to Georgia and we expect Georgia to further increase its alignment on foreign policy, as an expression of its strategic choice for EU membership,” Deputy Secretary-General of the EEAS Enrique Mora, who co-chaired the meeting on the EU side, said.
On his part, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Lasha Darsalia, who co-chaired the meeting on the Georgian side, noted that “since gaining the EU membership candidate status last December, our relations with the EU have moved to a new strategic phase. We shared concrete ideas to enhance our cooperation in security and defence, as Georgia remains a devoted security partner and ally to the EU in the wider region.”
The high-level EU–Georgia Strategic Security Dialogue is held once a year and covers issues of common interest in the field of foreign and security policy, including Common Security and Defence Policy. The first dialogue took place in Tbilisi in October 2017.
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- 26/01/2023 – Georgia, EU Hold Strategic Security Dialogue Meeting
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
