Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, within the framework of the UN General Assembly in New York, held a meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
The meeting emphasized that 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries and welcomed the fact that their relations are actively progressing in both bilateral and multilateral formats. The Georgian Prime Minister thanked the Chancellor of Austria for firmly supporting Georgia's non-recognition policy of the occupied territories, also the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and European integration.
The conversation touched on Georgia's progress toward European integration. The Head of Georgian Government underlined the implementation of the Association Agreement and the DCFTA as the Georgian Government's priority. Special attention was paid to the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit, also to the European Union's Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership, and the need to offer expanded engagement and integration opportunities between the EU and the Associated Trio.
Special emphasis was placed on Georgia's important role in the evacuation efforts from Afghanistan. As the Prime Minister pointed out, Tbilisi International Airport has become a transit hub for evacuating coalition forces from Afghanistan, eventually receiving in excess of 250 flights, with Georgia also facilitating temporary relocation for the employees of several international organizations.
While discussing bilateral relations, the parties expressed commitment to even deeper cooperation, including in the areas of economy, tourism, environmental protection, agriculture, education and culture, regional cooperation, and many others. The meeting emphasized that putting to use the Joint Economic Commission, as well as trade missions and other formats, is key to achieving tangible results in developing trade and economic ties.
The meeting singled out successful and effective cooperation with Austria through the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), also Austria's active involvement in EU-funded town twinning projects.
The conversation also emphasized productive cooperation within the framework of various international organizations. The Prime Minister of Georgia thanked the Austrian Chancellor for supporting Georgia's initiatives and Georgia-related resolutions in the UN, and invited him to Georgia.
After the bilateral meeting, the Prime Minister participated in a high-level dialogue organized by Austrian Chancellor and covering the issue of Afghanistan. This working lunch-format meeting discussed the protection of the rights of the Afghani people, especially women and girls, both in Afghanistan and in the region. The participants of the high-level dialogue included the Foreign Ministers of Austria, Denmark, Czechia, Finland, Norway, Greece, and Tajikistan, also the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar. The event was also attended by Afghanistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, and representatives of the UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF, the European Commission, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
