FM Zalkaliani Meets EU Officials in Brussels

Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani met Secretary-General of the EU External Action Service Stefano Sannino and EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi at the margins of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) foreign ministerial on November 15.

In the meeting with Commissioner Várhelyi, the parties discussed EU-Georgia relations, Georgia’s EU aspiration, and the situation in the region.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, FM Zalkaliani stressed that implementing projects envisaged in the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for Georgia will mark tangible progress on Georgia’s path of European integration. It would also reaffirm that the EaP is an important initiative for the EU, according to the same report.

The top Georgian diplomat also highlighted the need for the EU to pursue a “more for more” approach with the countries of the Associated Trio, EU-aspiring states that have had significant progress, the Foreign Ministry reported.

Also on November 15, FM Zalkaliani and Secretary-General Sannino discussed the EU-Georgia relations and Georgia’s expectations with regards to the forthcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in December. According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the top diplomat also talked about Georgia’s vision and initiatives in the process of economic, sectoral, and physical rapprochement with the EU.

The sides in addition discussed the goals of the Associated Trio – uniting Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova in their shared effort to further integrate into the EU – as well as regional security challenges and the humanitarian situation in Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.

Speaking about the ongoing political developments in Georgia, Minister Zalkaliani reiterated the steps taken by the government to de-escalate the situation and underlined its readiness to contribute to the peace and stability in the country, the Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.

The EEAS Secretary-General highlighted on his part after the meeting that “pursuit of key reforms” is essential for Georgia’s European path. He also welcomed the Georgian authorities’ recognition of their responsibility for the health of jailed former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, currently hospitalized in the Gldani #18 prison clinic.

FM Zalkaliani represented Georgia in the Eastern Partnership foreign ministerial meeting, bringing together EU foreign ministers and their counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, under the chairmanship of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

The Ministers exchanged on ways of advancing the EU-EaP partnership ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit in December, which is expected to provide a new vision for the EU-EaP cooperation.

“Today’s discussion allows me to say that our expectations for the Eastern Partnership Summit will be shared by our European partners,” Minister Zalkaliani told reporters in Brussels.

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