Polish President Visits Tbilisi

Polish President Andrzej Duda is on a working trip to Tbilisi on May 26-27, where he held meetings with his Georgian counterpart Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, and Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava.

In a press statement at the Presidential Palace following the meeting today, President Zurabishvili said she discussed with President Duda Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories. The “tense situation” on the ground necessitates in response “greater solidarity” towards Georgia within the EU and NATO, which Poland has strongly supported, she noted.

The Georgian President said she appealed for President Duda’s support at the nearing NATO Summit, requesting that the final declaration involve a message to Tbilisi and Kyiv, clearly indicating the prospect of an open door into the Alliance for the two countries.

President Zurabishvili said Warsaw is also ready to “provide all possible assistance to Georgia to bring the issue of occupation to the forefront of OSCE political activity and statements,” during its 2022 OSCE Chairpersonship.

The Georgian President highlighted that she also reviewed with her Polish counterpart the “concrete steps” Tbilisi has to take before applying for EU membership in 2024, including sectoral integration, and joint infrastructure projects, which will increase the EU’s presence and influence in the Black Sea region.

On his part, President Duda said he has appealed to EU and NATO member state leaders to keep their door open for Georgia. He highlighted that Georgia has many times proven its value as an ally, citing the country’s participation in the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

“I believe that the road will be getting shorter for Georgia,” he stressed, expressing his hope to see specific dates and procedural steps set for Georgia’s membership in both blocs.

Also today, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and President Duda discussed economic cooperation and tourism, underscoring the need to further develop economic and trade potential as Poland is an important market for Georgian products, the Georgian Government’s press service reported.

Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava underscored the importance of Poland’s support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations at the May 27 meeting with President Duda. On his part, the Polish President stressed that Warsaw will continue backing Tbilisi’s NATO and EU membership bid, as reported by the Parliament’s press service.

On the first day of his working trip, President Duda also attended Independence Day celebrations and visited the dividing line with Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.

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