Czech Republic Wants Georgia in EU, Czech FM Says

By Khatia Bzhalava

Friday, April 15, 2022

Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili with his Czech counterpart, Jan Lipavsky.

Czech Foreign Minister pledged that the Czech Republic backs Georgia on its path to the EU.

Within the framework of his visit to the Czech Republic, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili met with his Czech counterpart, Jan Lipavsky. The sides focused on Georgia's European integration process and as the Czech FM noted, one of the main priorities of the Czech EU Presidency would be to support the Associated Trio (Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova) and their integration aspirations. The sides also discussed the prospects that have opened up for Georgia by receiving an EU membership questionnaire.

Emphasizing that the Czech Republic backs Georgia on its path to the EU, Minister Lipavski said in a joint press point with his Georgian colleague that “Georgia is part of Europe and the Czech Republic wants the country in the European Union.”

The Minister also stressed that the Czech Republic “fully respects and supports Georgia’s territorial integrity, and condemns Russian activities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Against the background of the difficult situation in the occupied territories, the Ministers highlighted the need for international partners’ greater involvement in ensuring peace and stability in the region. In this regard, the Georgian side noted the Czech Republic's participation in the EU Monitoring Mission.

While discussing bilateral relations, the sides emphasized the great potential for cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, and tourism and expressed their readiness to actively cooperate in this direction. According to Czech Foreign Minister, there is great potential for further investments as well as trade exchange, noting that last year the Czech Republic invested over $82 million in Georgia. Lipavsky also offered Georgian FM cooperation in various areas, such as the energy sector, agriculture, environmental protection, and ecology. As he stressed, Georgia remains to be one of the six priority countries in terms of the Czech Republic’s development assistance.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, discussions also focused on the Czech Republic's support for Georgia's integration with NATO and the practical assistance in this process.