Upon concluding his first official visit to Kyiv, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani on May 17 met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussing bilateral relations, NATO and EU integration, Russian occupation, and regional security, among others.
The sides welcomed the establishment of the Associated Trio format, noting it will assist Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova facilitate closer economic and sectoral convergence with the European Union, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported.
Noting that Georgia and Ukraine share “common challenges and goals,” FM Zalkaliani dubbed the freshly-established trilateral format “a good starting point for our future integration into the EU.” He stressed that the two countries require a solidarity-based approach and the involvement of international partners to deal with their challenges.
According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, President Zelenskyy noted that Georgia and Ukraine previously had an “artificial” pause in their relationship, presumably referring to a year-long recall of Tbilisi’s Ambassador over the Ukrainian President’s decision to appoint former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as the chair of Ukraine’s Executive Reform Committee.
“I commend the restoration of substantive, powerful relations between our countries,” President Zelenskyy added, as reported by his press service. He reiterated Ukraine’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also informed the Georgian top diplomat on the situation in Donbas and occupied Crimea.
Also Read:
- Georgian Ambassador Returns to Kyiv After Year-Long Hiatus
- Georgian, Ukrainian Presidents Discuss Ukraine Developments, NATO, EU Integration
- Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova FMs Call for ‘New Opportunities’ from the EU
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