Prime Minister of Ukraine pays official visit to Georgia
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Friday, June 4
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal landed in Tbilisi on the night of 2nd of June and was welcomed to the country by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Davit Zalkaliani. During the official visit, Shmyhal held meetings with Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava and Patriarch Ilia II.
At the meeting in the government administration, the special friendship and strategic partnership between Georgia and Ukraine were underlined. The sides discussed the situation in the Black Sea region and regional security issues.
The position of the Georgian side towards the commitment to a peaceful policy of resolving the conflict was underscored.
“Ukraine will co-author the draft UN resolution on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, as well as the status of refugees,” said Ukrainian PM, expressing hope to actively cooperate with the Georgian side within the framework of the Crimean platform initiated by Ukraine, which is aimed at the de-occupation of the peninsula.
The meeting focused on the common challenge for Georgia and Ukraine - the threats posed by Russia and the dire consequences of the occupation. Gharibashvili expressed his ‘deep concern’ over Russia’s military activities near the borders of Ukraine and the temporarily occupied Crimea. He reaffirmed his support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The sides discussed the main directions of bilateral cooperation between Georgia and Ukraine. It was noted that trade and economic relations between the two countries are expanding, and to further increase trade turnover, it is important to make full use of the potential for economic cooperation. The importance of strengthening ties in the field of tourism and transport was also stressed. Ukrainian PM stated that the relations between the peoples of Ukraine and Georgia are gaining more momentum, which is an important signal for business and citizens of the two countries.
“Ukraine is one of Georgia's most important trading partners in the top ten list,” Gharibashvili said, adding that the main task of the two countries is to double the trade turnover between Georgia and Ukraine.
“We agreed that at the end of the year, we would hold the tenth session of the Georgian-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation,” said Shmyhal, underscoring that trade turnover between the countries decreased by 15.6% in 2020, however the positive trend has started in the first quarter of 2021, with 4% increase. According to him, meetings of the working group on transport, energy, agriculture and tourism will also be held in the near future.
At the same time, the Prime Minister of Ukraine noted that Ukraine and Georgia have significant transit potential, which is why in the future, they would focus on the joint development of international transport corridors. He also expressed his interest in a more active development of investment cooperation in terms of modernization of transport infrastructure, the development of joint ventures, as well as the process of privatization of state property. “It was very interesting for both countries to implement state-private partnership projects. In particular, in the maritime sector, aviation and road economy,” he said.
Ukrainian PM considers energy security to be one of the key areas for further cooperation. The sides promised to promote the development of green energy and energy efficiency, which will be facilitated by the Memorandum of Understanding between profile agencies. This document will be the basis for the development of joint approaches aimed at the development of renewable energy markets in our countries.
“We are ready to consider cooperation in this and other important areas, including within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and GUAM, where we have similar positions and approaches to the further activities of these organizations,” said Denis Schmigal.
The meeting also focused on the integration of Georgia and Ukraine into European and Euro-Atlantic structures and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in this direction.
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine and Georgia are strategic partners, adding these aren’t empty words, but ‘confirmed by concrete facts.’ He added that the current relations between Ukraine and Georgia are primarily based on joint goals of the governments of Ukraine and Georgia in terms of EU and NATO membership.
“I am convinced that the entry of our countries into the European Union and NATO is only a matter of time,” Ukrainian PM said.
