PM Bakhtadze, Lithuanian Leaders Discuss Economic Ties, Security

Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, who is on an official visit to Lithuania on January 21, met with his Lithuanian counterpart Saulius Skvernelis and President Dalia Grybauskaitė‏, discussing the two countries’ cooperation.

Calling Lithuania Georgia’s “closest ally and friend,” PM Bakhtadze said in a joint press statement with his Lithuanian counterpart, that the two countries’ cooperation and political dialogue “is becoming stronger and deeper,” and that their trade turnover is increasing year-on-year.

Bakhtadze said the two PMs discussed the implementation of joint regional projects in the fields of energy and transport to increase their countries’ transit potential as well as to explore new markets. Bakhtadze said he hoped Lithuania would share its expertise with Georgia on business start-up development as well.

The Georgian PM said they also addressed “grave outcomes of the steps Russia is taking towards occupation and annexation” of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, and deterioration of security and humanitarian situation there.

On his part, the Lithuanian Prime Minister encouraged Georgia to continue its reforms, which give it the lead among the EU’s Eastern partners.

“We will continue supporting Sakartvelo’s independence and territorial integrity, its firm determination to follow, inter alia, the example of Lithuania and to seek full integration into the European Union and NATO, to create an open, democratic and rule-of-law-based prosperous state,” he said.

In Vilnius, Baktadze met with the Lithuanian President as well. At the meeting the two leaders focused on their countries’ bilateral relations, Georgia’s cooperation with EU as well as security situation in the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea region, according to Grybauskaitė’s press office.

Georgia’s trade turnover with Lithuania, according to the State Statistics Office Geostat, stood at USD 80 million in 2018, with exports at USD 43.4 million (USD 35.1 million in 2017) and imports at USD 36.6 million (USD 45.6 million in 2017).

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)