Yesterday, Georgian Prime Minister held a meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, and Austrian Federal Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.
The Head of Government thanked the Foreign Ministers of the three countries for visiting Georgia and the South Caucasus, as mandated as mandated by Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission/EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. According to Garibashvili, the Ministers' visit under the Eastern European format is a strong message for resolving the region's pending conflicts, signaling that the EU is promoting peace and security in the countries of the South Caucasus Region.
The meeting discussed the agreement achieved between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the Georgian Prime Minister's active facilitation and engagement from the US, also pointing out the importance of peaceful conflict resolution in the region.
The Foreign Ministers of Romania, Austria, and Lithuania thanked the Prime Minister of Georgia for successfully mediating between Armenia and Azerbaijan, an effort resulting in the release of 15 Armenian citizens and important materials on mined territories handed over to the Azerbaijani side.
The conversation also focused on the successful visit of the Georgian, Moldovan, and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers to Brussels in the newly established Association Trio format. It is important for the EU and its member states to enhance the engagement of the Association Trio countries, the Prime Minister added.
Irakli Garibashvili also singled out Georgia as the Eastern Partnership's torchbearer committed to the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration and preparing to apply for full EU membership in 2024.
Attention was paid to the dire situation in Georgia's occupied territories and the importance of greater involvement from the EU in peaceful conflict-resolution as a Co-Chair of the Geneva International Discussions, among others, in order to ensure tangible results from the Geneva Talks.
The Head of Government informed the Foreign Ministers of the three EU member states about the efforts necessary to secure the immediate release of Zaza Gakheladze and Irakli Bebua, illegally detained Georgian citizens, also underlining the importance of support from international partners in this process.
The meeting also focused on the Georgian Government's comprehensive strategy seeking to ensure de-occupation and peaceful conflict-resolution.
According to the Head of Government, the development of the strategy will engage Georgia's strategic partners: The United States of America and the European Union. The Prime Minister pointed out the importance of involving all social strata in the strategy's implementation, also stating that a governmental commission has already been established to work in this direction, and that the document will be finalized by the end of this year.
The meeting at the Administration of the Government was attended by European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar, the European External Action Service's Managing Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE Michael Siebert, EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, and Georgia's Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani.
