On December 17, the Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili started his visit to Serbia, marking his first official visit to a European country since assuming office.
Kavelashvili is accompanied by the GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, ruling party lawmakers Irakli Mezurnishvili, Irma Zavradashvili, and Guram Macharashvili, as well as Georgia’s ambassador to Serbia, Levan Beridze, and representatives of the presidential administration.
As part of his visit, Kavelashvili met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić. According to a press release from the Kavelashvili administration, he is also scheduled to hold bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Đuro Macut.
Kavelashvili’s presidency has been questioned by key Western countries and Georgia’s international partners, who have raised serious concerns over alleged widespread fraud and irregularities in the October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections, which led to Kavelashvili’s controversial election by the GD-only electoral college on December 14, 2024. Kavelashvili’s official foreign travel has been limited to neighboring countries, where he held high-level meetings with government officials.
Meeting with the President of Serbia
On December 18, Mikheil Kavelashvili met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
“Colleagues discussed the deepening of cooperation between Georgia and Serbia in the political, economic, technological, and cultural fields,” Kavelashvili’s administration said, adding that the two also focused on “existing friendly ties, cultural closeness, shared values and common challenges, which provide a solid foundation for the further development of relations.”
According to the statement, the two leaders also touched upon the “political processes” in both countries and emphasized “the importance of peace and stability in the world.” Serbia, like Georgia, has been gripped by protests during the past year.
During the meeting, Kavelashvili said Georgia “highly values Serbia’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the administration said.
Joint Press Briefing
Following their meeting, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić held a joint press briefing.
- “We understood each other very well”
Speaking first, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said the talks covered the global political and geopolitical situation, developments in the South Caucasus, and the Western Balkans.
“We understood each other very well, and most importantly, adherence to the requirements of the UN Charter and the implementation of UN resolutions are paramount in relations between states,” Vučić said.
He stressed mutual respect for territorial integrity, saying, “I am grateful to Georgia for respecting Serbia’s territorial integrity, just as Serbia respects Georgia’s territorial integrity, and this principle will never change on either side.” Vučić added that Serbia and Georgia, as “relatively small and medium-sized countries,” uphold international law and “will continue to firmly defend it in the future.”
Vučić announced that the two countries would soon convene a joint commission and begin strategic discussions on a free trade agreement. He expressed confidence that the agreement could enter into force next year, noting that “in-depth discussions are already underway.”
Vučić also said the talks addressed cooperation in agriculture and artificial intelligence, as well as potential collaboration in the defense sector.
“In addition, we are further strengthening our relations and will be able to consider cooperation in the military field, including between defense industry facilities, and I am confident that this is very good news for the citizens of both countries,” he said.
During the briefing, Vučić highlighted the launch of direct flights between Georgia and Serbia starting in 2024 and announced plans to open a Serbian embassy in Tbilisi.
Vučić said both countries support each other internationally. “Georgia can count on Serbia’s support and vote in various international organizations, and likewise, Serbia can count on Georgia’s support,” he said.
Vučić also praised Georgia’s economic performance.
“You may see images of demonstrations and protests, but Georgia is particularly successful,” he said. “A growth rate of 9.4 percent, show me a country in Europe with such growth […] You will be a role model for the region next year.”
Note: Vučić made his speech in Serbian, with his remarks simultaneously interpreted into Georgian.
- Shared European trouble
In his remarks, Kavelashvili said the sides discussed trade, education, and youth exchanges.
He went on criticising the EU’s approach toward Georgia, saying it reflects unfair treatment and double standards.
“It is essential to mention the experience that both you [Serbia] and we have gained in relations with the European Union,” he said. “Both our society and the international community are aware that the current relationship between Georgia and the EU is not particularly favorable today, as we believe, I will be direct, that the attitude of European bureaucratic leaders toward our country is unfair and often reflects double standards. This is not new for our friendly country, Serbia.”
Describing Georgia as a “peaceful country,” Kavelashvili said it frequently appears in international rankings for economic development, transparency, and the judicial system.
“We hope that European bureaucracy will become a fair successor to the Europe which both we and the Serbian people are part of,” he noted, expressing hope that “this direction will change,” and that “Europe and the European people will return to their fundamental values, allowing Europe to once again become a strong and attractive region.”
Kavelashvili said discussions with Vučić also covered agriculture and weapons production. He then touched upon the regional security environment in the context of the Russia–Ukraine war.
“Since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war, we have withstood considerable pressure, including attempts to draw Georgia into these processes,” he said. “We protected our national interests […] and adopted a firm and principled position. which is perhaps the most important stance today for all countries for whom peace carries great value amid these challenges.”
Kavelashvili also stressed the strategic importance of the South Caucasus region.
“The South Caucasus is one of the key regions between East and West,” he said, “and it is important to note that Serbs will also gain significant opportunities related to this corridor. “
Expanded Meeting Format
Following their face-to-face meeting on December 18, talks between Kavelashvili and Vučić continued in an expanded format with the participation of both delegations.
In the expanded format, the sides reportedly discussed the need to promote partnerships among higher education institutions, vocational training centers and research institutes. “It was further noted that sharing experiences in the fields of youth policy, innovation and technology, and the development of artificial intelligence is of significant importance,” Kavelashvili wrote on X.
Meeting with Brnabić
As part of the visit, the GD-elected President also met with Serbian National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić on December 18.
Following the meeting, Kavelashvili wrote on X that “during the meeting, we reviewed the current state of bilateral relations and discussed prospects for deepening cooperation across various sectors.” He added that the sides also “examined ongoing global developments and the shared geopolitical challenges facing our countries.”
GD-elected President said the discussions focused on further promoting interparliamentary dialogue, “with particular emphasis on the importance of establishing a Georgia Friendship Group within the Serbian Parliament to enhance parliamentary dialogue and engagement.”
More to follow…
Also Read:
- 26/09/2025 – Kavelashvili, Botchorishvili Attend 80th UN General Assembly in New York
- 13/08/2025 – Mikheil Kavelashvili Visits Turkey
- 29/04/2025 – Mikheil Kavelashvili Visits Armenia
- 16/04/2025 – Mikheil Kavelashvili Visits Azerbaijan
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